Imports & ExportsStart exporting

Handicrafts

Export glassware

Tumblers, tableware and decorative glass from Firozabad and other centres; UAE and USA lead.

Free to exportHS 7013
HS code
7013
Glassware for table, kitchen, toilet, office and indoor decoration — tumblers, bowls, vases, decorative glass.
Export policy
Free to export
Free to export under ITC(HS) Schedule 2.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 55.9 mn
to 84 countries

What is exported

Firozabad is India's glass city, making tableware, decorative glass, bangles and lighting parts; hand-blown art glass is also made in smaller units. In 2025-26 India exported about US$ 56 million under HS 7013, led by the UAE and the USA, followed by Bangladesh, Nepal and the UK.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Decorative glasswareVases, candle holders, lanterns and ornaments, often hand-blown or hand-painted in Firozabad.
  • Tableware and drinkwareTumblers, jars and bowls; food-contact tests for lead and cadmium apply.
  • Christmas and festive ornamentsGlass baubles and figurines shipped months ahead of the season.
  • Glass beads and banglesVaranasi glass beads and Firozabad bangles for jewellery and craft makers.
  • Borosilicate and laboratory glasswareHeat-resistant kitchen and lab glass from larger factories.

Where it is grown or made

  • Uttar PradeshFirozabad — India's glass city (bangles, decorative and tableware)
  • Uttar PradeshVaranasi — glass beads
  • GujaratBharuch (Jhagadia) and Vadodara — borosilicate and machine-made glassware

Export packing

  • Each piece is wrapped in paper or foam and packed in cartons with cardboard dividers; many buyers ask for a drop test.
  • Mark cartons "Fragile — Glass" with "This side up" arrows; heavy cartons go on ISPM-15 pallets.
  • Food-contact items need the buyer's labelling (food-safe symbol in the EU) and test reports.

Who buys abroad

  • Home-decor and seasonal-goods importers
  • Department stores and garden centres
  • Candle and fragrance brands (jars and holders)
  • Hotel and restaurant suppliers

The quality buyers ask for

Lead and cadmium release
For glass that touches food or the lips: release limits tested by ISO 7086 (glass hollowware) and, for decorated rims, ASTM C927 in the USA; EU food-contact rules apply
Thermal shock
Resistance to sudden temperature change (hot-to-cold test), important for tumblers and candle holders
Annealing
Residual strain checked with a polariscope; poorly annealed glass cracks later
Dishwasher resistance
Decoration and colour durability through a set number of dishwasher cycles (EN 12875 series)
Dimensions and capacity
Height, diameter, wall thickness and brim-full capacity within tolerance
Candle holders
Heat resistance and stability, tested against EN 15426 / ASTM F2601 when sold with or for candles

Certificates

  • Food-contact test report and declarationRequiredRequired for drinking glasses and tableware sold in the EU and USA.
  • Social compliance audit (amfori BSCI or SMETA)Often askedAsked for by chain stores; furnace safety and working hours are checked.
  • CE (LVD) / ULOften askedFor glass lamps with wiring.
  • ISO 9001Often askedQuality management for factories supplying hotels and brands.
  • Pollution control consentRequiredFirozabad units must follow Taj Trapezium Zone rules on fuel (natural gas); buyers may ask for consents.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Fragile goods: individual wrapping, dividers and double-wall cartons, packed tight so nothing moves. Usually LCL or 40-ft containers loaded by volume.

How it travels

Sea freight via ICD Agra or Delhi-area ICDs; air for samples.

Storage

Store on racks, not stacked loose; check carton strength for high stacking in the container.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • 'Made in India' sticker on each piece or the retail box.
  • EU food-contact glass: the glass-and-fork symbol or 'for food contact' wording.
  • Care: 'hand-wash only' for decorated or hand-made pieces; candle-holder fire warnings.
  • Cartons: 'Fragile — Glass' and 'This way up' marks.
Where to get it tested

CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI) in Kolkata, with centres including Naroda (Ahmedabad), tests glass and ceramics. For food-contact release tests, search the NABL directory under chemical testing of glassware. CAPEXIL and EPCH can guide members to labs.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • CAPEXILGlass and glassware come under CAPEXIL as per DGFT Appendix 2T.capexil.org ↗
  • EPCH (for hand-made art glass)Hand-crafted decorative glass sold as handicraft can register with EPCH under miscellaneous handicrafts.epch.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Food-contact glass: EU food-contact rules; for painted or decorated glass, lead and cadmium limits on the lip and rim area (for example California Proposition 65 in the USA).
  • Thermal-shock and dishwasher tests if you claim them on the pack.
  • Drop-tested export packing; breakage claims are common.
How to start small

Source a small tableware or décor range from one Firozabad factory, test samples for lead if they will touch food, and join CAPEXIL. Begin with Gulf and Nepal buyers, where transit is short and breakage risk lower, and insure every shipment.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Breakage from weak cartons or no dividers — the buyer deducts it from payment.
  • Decorated glass failing lead tests in the USA or EU.
  • Shipping without marine insurance on fragile goods.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. Department of Commerce, Export Import Data Bank — India's exports of HS 7013 by country, 2025-26
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T: Export Promotion Councils and the products under each
  3. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  4. European Commission — Food contact materials
  5. CAPEXIL — official site

Trade data

Indian glassware exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 55.9 mn
+17.1% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +47.1%
US$ 38 mn → US$ 55.9 mn
Buyer countries
84
Average export price
US$ 3.74
per kg · 14,935 tonnes shipped · US$ 4.25 the year before
United Arab Emirates: US$ 11.7 mnUnited States of America: US$ 11.5 mnBangladesh: US$ 6 mnThailand: US$ 2.4 mnNepal: US$ 2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 1.8 mnGermany: US$ 1.7 mnSouth Africa: US$ 1.6 mnAustria: US$ 1.3 mnRomania: US$ 1.3 mnSingapore: US$ 1.2 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 1.2 mnBrazil: US$ 1 mnCanada: US$ 1 mnNigeria: US$ 870kBelgium: US$ 770kKenya: US$ 730kKuwait: US$ 660kNetherlands: US$ 600kSri Lanka: US$ 540kAustralia: US$ 510kQatar: US$ 440kFrance: US$ 360kGeorgia: US$ 350kMalaysia: US$ 320kUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 11.7 mnUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of America: US$ 11.5 mnUnited States of AmericaBangladesh: US$ 6 mnBangladeshThailand: US$ 2.4 mnThailandNepal: US$ 2 mnNepalUnited Kingdom: US$ 1.8 mnUnited KingdomGermany: US$ 1.7 mnSouth Africa: US$ 1.6 mnAustria: US$ 1.3 mnRomania: US$ 1.3 mnSingapore: US$ 1.2 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 1.2 mnBrazil: US$ 1 mnCanada: US$ 1 mnNigeria: US$ 870kBelgium: US$ 770kKenya: US$ 730kKuwait: US$ 660kNetherlands: US$ 600kSri Lanka: US$ 540kAustralia: US$ 510kQatar: US$ 440kFrance: US$ 360kGeorgia: US$ 350kMalaysia: US$ 320kIndia
Where Indian glassware goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 25.4 mn252020-212021-22: US$ 34.8 mn352021-222022-23: US$ 33.9 mn342022-232023-24: US$ 33.3 mn332023-242024-25: US$ 38 mn382024-252025-26: US$ 55.9 mn562025-26
India’s glassware exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2024-25, lowest in 2021-22 — a 81% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 3.00 per kg2021-22: US$ 2.35 per kg2.352022-23: US$ 3.45 per kg2024-25: US$ 4.25 per kg4.252025-26: US$ 3.74 per kg3.742020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian glassware · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 25.4 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 34.8 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 33.9 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 33.3 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 38 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 55.9 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 54.5 mn (US$ 45 mn – US$ 65.9 mn)542026-272027-28: US$ 61.4 mn (US$ 49.6 mn – US$ 76 mn)612027-28
India’s glassware exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 61.4 mn

Likely range US$ 49.6 mn to US$ 76 mn.

Trend
+12.7% a year
Fit (R²)
0.76
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United Arab EmiratesUS$ 11.7 mn+270.2%
2United States of AmericaUS$ 11.5 mn+43.7%
3BangladeshUS$ 6 mn+11,840%
4ThailandUS$ 2.4 mn+8,033.3%
5NepalUS$ 2 mn+84.4%
6United KingdomUS$ 1.8 mn+1.7%
7GermanyUS$ 1.7 mn+142.3%
8South AfricaUS$ 1.6 mn+34.5%
9AustriaUS$ 1.3 mn+114.8%
10RomaniaUS$ 1.3 mn-48.8%
11SingaporeUS$ 1.2 mn+68.1%
12Saudi ArabiaUS$ 1.2 mn-7.8%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. BangladeshUS$ 50k → US$ 6 mn+11,840%
  2. ThailandUS$ 30k → US$ 2.4 mn+8,033.3%
  3. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 3.2 mn → US$ 11.7 mn+270.2%
  4. CanadaUS$ 340k → US$ 1 mn+205.9%
  5. GermanyUS$ 710k → US$ 1.7 mn+142.3%
  6. AustriaUS$ 610k → US$ 1.3 mn+114.8%
  7. NepalUS$ 1.1 mn → US$ 2 mn+84.4%
  8. SingaporeUS$ 720k → US$ 1.2 mn+68.1%

Low demand

  1. ChinaUS$ 3 mn → US$ 100k-96.6%
  2. RomaniaUS$ 2.5 mn → US$ 1.3 mn-48.8%
  3. BelgiumUS$ 1.3 mn → US$ 770k-40.8%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Other thn gla statues of lead crystals7013 99 00 · Glassware in heading no. 7013, other than of lead crystalUS$ 32.8 mn+60.2%2,065 tonnesUS$ 15.89 per kgwas US$ 13.21
Other glssware usd for tbl(excluding drnkng gls)/kitchen purposes(excluding glass ceramics)7013 49 00 · Glassware of a kind used for table or kitchen purposes, of glass in item no. 7013.4US$ 13.4 mn+23.4%6,243 tonnesUS$ 2.14 per kgwas US$ 1.97
Others-of-others-of-glsswr for tbl ktchn,tolt,offc indor dcortion (excluding goods of hdg no 7010/7018)7013 37 00 · Glassware, drinking glasses, other than of lead crystal or glass-ceramicsUS$ 4.9 mn+102.5%4,287 tonnesUS$ 1.15 per kgwas US$ 2.04
Glassware, drinking glasses, of lead crystal — of lead crystal7013 33 00US$ 1.6 mn-31.9%165 tonnesUS$ 9.58 per kgwas US$ 9.43
Glassware of glass ceramics7013 10 00 · Glassware, of a kind used for table, kitchen, toilet, office, indoor decoration or similar purposes, of…US$ 1.4 mn+345.2%1,654 tonnesUS$ 0.83 per kgwas US$ 2.86
Glswre of gls hvng a lnr coefcnt of expnsnnt excdng 5x10-6 per klvn wthn a tmp rangeof 0 degree c to 300 degree c7013 42 00 · Glassware of a kind used for table or kitchen purposes, of glass having a linear coefficient of expansion…US$ 810k+118.9%385 tonnesUS$ 2.10 per kgwas US$ 3.11
Others-of-others-of-glsswr for tbl ktchn,tolt,offc indor dcortion (excluding goods of hdg no 7010/7018)7013 28 00 · Stemware drinking glasses, other than of lead crystal or glass-ceramicsUS$ 580k-30.1%101 tonnesUS$ 5.72 per kgwas US$ 4.45
Gla statues of lead crystals7013 91 00 · Glassware in heading no. 7013, of lead crystalUS$ 250k-10.7%20 tonnesUS$ 12.78 per kgwas US$ 15.67
Glswre of led crystl usd for tbl/ktchn prps7013 41 00 · Glassware of a kind used for table or kitchen purposes, of lead crystalUS$ 80k+166.7%8.2 tonnesUS$ 9.72 per kgwas US$ 15.79
Stemware drinking glasses, of lead crystal — of lead crystal7013 22 00US$ 70k-12.5%7.0 tonnesUS$ 10.06 per kgwas US$ 13.64

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 8.29 bn
2023
India among exporters
#33
of 152 countries
India’s share of world exports
0.3%
US$ 27.6 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 10.9 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 5.3 bn 48.4%
  2. 2FranceUS$ 738 mn 6.7%
  3. 3GermanyUS$ 600 mn 5.5%
  4. 4CzechiaUS$ 391 mn 3.6%
  5. 5ItalyUS$ 382 mn 3.5%
  6. 6TürkiyeUS$ 360 mn 3.3%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 349 mn 3.2%
  8. 8PolandUS$ 339 mn 3.1%
  9. 9AustriaUS$ 240 mn 2.2%
  10. 10USAUS$ 222 mn 2%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 1.35 bn 16.3%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 592 mn 7.1%
  3. 3FranceUS$ 410 mn 5%
  4. 4United KingdomUS$ 360 mn 4.3%
  5. 5NetherlandsUS$ 338 mn 4.1%
  6. 6ItalyUS$ 278 mn 3.4%
  7. 7SpainUS$ 259 mn 3.1%
  8. 8CanadaUS$ 239 mn 2.9%
  9. 9PolandUS$ 197 mn 2.4%
  10. 10JapanUS$ 193 mn 2.3%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

IraqUS$ 1.73 bnIndia 10.6% · gap US$ 1.55 bn
United States of AmericaUS$ 1.47 bnIndia 3.2% · gap US$ 1.43 bn
GermanyUS$ 581 mnIndia 1.4% · gap US$ 573 mn
FranceUS$ 388 mnIndia 0.6% · gap US$ 386 mn
United KingdomUS$ 360 mnIndia 1.3% · gap US$ 355 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 323 mnIndia 1.3% · gap US$ 319 mn
SpainUS$ 280 mnIndia 0.5% · gap US$ 278 mn
ItalyUS$ 277 mnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 277 mn
CanadaUS$ 244 mnIndia 1.2% · gap US$ 241 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 227 mnIndia 3% · gap US$ 221 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export glassware

India's glassware exports come mainly from Firozabad (bangles, decorative glass and lamps) and from larger factories making tableware and containers. China and Turkey are the giants of glass tableware, with Europe strong in premium crystal and Poland and the Czech Republic in hand-blown glass. Demand comes from home décor, hotel and restaurant supply and festive décor buyers, mainly in the USA, Europe and the Gulf. Openings are in hand-made decorative glass, Christmas ornaments, candle holders and lamps, where Indian craft skills and small runs suit importers.

  1. 01Sample and price

    Develop samples by mould or mouth-blown; price breakage allowance in.

  2. 02Test

    Run lead/cadmium release tests for food items and thermal-shock tests.

  3. 03Produce and anneal

    Melt, form and anneal properly; check strain on a polariscope.

  4. 04Decorate

    Paint, frost or decal; cure decorations so they pass dishwasher and release tests.

  5. 05Inspect and pack

    Check bubbles, stones, chips and uneven rims; drop-test packed cartons.

  6. 06Ship and collect

    File the shipping bill, claim RoDTEP and drawback, collect payment.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting glassware

Do decorated glasses need special tests?
Yes. Paint on the lip-and-rim area can release lead or cadmium. US buyers test the rim (ASTM C927); EU buyers test under food-contact rules.
How much breakage is normal?
There is no official figure. Agree a breakage allowance in the contract and improve packing until claims stay within it.
Which council covers glassware?
CAPEXIL for glass and glassware; EPCH for hand-made art glass.
Can I ship glass Christmas ornaments by sea?
Yes, with inner boxes and dividers. Plan production early in the year — Christmas goods ship by mid-year.
Why did glasses crack in the buyer's dishwasher?
Usually poor annealing or thin, uneven walls. Check strain with a polariscope and test thermal shock before bulk.
Sources (5)
  1. CAPEXIL — official site
  2. EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) — official site
  3. European Commission — Food contact materials
  4. CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI)
  5. NABL — search for accredited testing laboratories

Who buys Indian glassware

All countries →

More in handicrafts

All products →