Seashell Crafts (India)

What & where (region specificity)

• Strong clusters: Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Port Blair/Sagarika Government Emporium), Tamil Nadu’s Gulf of Mannar/Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), and Odisha’s Puri/Cuttack conch craft. These areas traditionally make shell jewellery, lamps, boxes, and carved conch articles.
  

Quality & product strengths

• Materials include mother-of-pearl and conch/chank (Turbinella pyrum) used for bangles, lamps, and inlay; artisans are skilled in polishing, engraving, and mosaic work—often combining shell with wood/coconut or metal mounts for export-grade souvenirs.
  

Exports & HS classification (how it shows up in trade data)

• Finished shell goods are usually recorded under HS 9601 (worked ivory/bone/tortoiseshell/mother-of-pearl, etc.) and, when mounted into fashion pieces, under HS 7117 (imitation jewellery). India’s HS 7117 exports were ≈ US$145–152 million in 2023, with key destinations the US, UK, and Spain; this basket includes shell-set costume jewellery. (HS 9601 is smaller and mixed globally.)
  

Compliance & market-access notes (why India’s clusters are credible)

• No tortoiseshell: Hawksbill sea turtle shell trade is banned under CITES Appendix I; exporters must avoid any turtle-derived material. Coral species are generally Appendix II—trade only with permits; many markets discourage coral curios entirely.
  
• EU chemical compliance for mounted jewellery: Nickel release (EN 1811:2023) and lead/cadmium restrictions under REACH Annex XVII apply to metal fittings on shell jewellery.
  

Why India/these regions

• Island/coastal resource base + long craft history (Andamans/Tuticorin), and Odisha’s ritual conch traditions, give unique form factors and motifs distinct from Southeast Asian shell souvenirs.
  

Wooden Handicrafts (India)

What & where (region specificity)

• Major carving clusters include Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh (centuries-old wood craft; GI-registered “Saharanpur Wood Craft”), and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving (GI-registered; Srinagar/Fateh Kadal artisanal base). These are India’s export workhorses for carved boxes, trays, panels, figurines, inlay/marquetry
  

Quality & product strengths

• Saharanpur: intricate low/high-relief floral and jaali work on sheesham/mango; extensive finishing know-how for export. Kashmir: fine-grain walnut allows micro-carving and classic chinar and floral motifs; GI quality manuals codify testing/labeling.
  

Exports & HS classification

• Most decorative wooden items are reported in HS 4420 (“statuettes & ornaments; marquetry; caskets/cases”). In 2023 India exported ≈ US$104 million of HS 4420 “Wood Ornaments”, mainly to the US (~US$54.2 m), Germany (~US$12.3 m), Netherlands (~US$6.6 m). (Wood table/kitchenware is HS 4419; India exported ≈ US$58.9 m in 2023.
  
• HS scope reference for 4420 (what fits this code).
  

Compliance & market-access notes

• CITES/Dalbergia (rosewoods, incl. Dalbergia sissoo/sheesham): Listed in Appendix II; CoP19 (Nov 2022) eased certain restrictions—finished products up to defined weights/annotations see relief, but CITES permits/documentation can still apply. India’s MoCI/PIB acknowledged relief for sheesham handicrafts; always verify current annotation/weight thresholds per the latest CITES Notification.
  
• EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): From 30 Dec 2025 (large operators) and 30 Jun 2026 (SMEs), wood products (CN 44… incl. 4420, and some 94…) require due-diligence statements proving deforestation-free and legal harvest—this will govern Indian wooden handicraft entries to the EU.
  
• US Lacey Act (since 2008): Requires species/country-of-harvest declarations and prohibits trade in illegally sourced wood; applies to most wood articles imported into the US.
  
• Voluntary credence: FSC Chain-of-Custody or Controlled Wood can strengthen buyer acceptance; India has an FSC national standard and risk assessment in place
  

Why India/these regions

• Saharanpur’s scale, skills and supply chains (incl. mango/sheesham) allow consistent export volumes; Kashmir walnut provides a premium, GI-protected identity tied to regional material properties and motifs—clear differentiation in mid-to-premium décor.
  

Quick sourcing & HS cheat-sheet

• Seashell crafts → HS 9601 (worked shell articles); if mounted as fashion jewellery, often HS 7117 (imitation jewellery). India HS 7117 exports ≈ US$145–152 m (2023). Avoid any turtle/tortoiseshell material (CITES I).
  
• Wooden handicrafts → HS 4420 (carved décor, caskets, statuettes); India 2023 ≈ US$104 m; top buyers US/EU
  

Notes on data sources

• Handicrafts sector totals (context): FY24 exports ~₹31,095 cr (US$3.8 bn) per IBEF citing EPCH. Use these for sector share context alongside the product-level HS figures above.
  
• Trade values (HS 4420, 4419, 7117) are calendar-year 2023 snapshots from OEC/WITS/TrendEconomy/IBEF, the most accessible mirrors of UN Comtrade and national stats. Always match your SKU’s exact HS sub-heading with your customs broker.