Importing furniture from Italy takes more than a freight quote. A Talenti set crosses customs under a tariff code, carries a declaration for its wood and a label for its cushions. Here is the paperwork in the order it comes up.
Importing furniture from Italy looks simple from the showroom: you pick a Talenti collection, you agree a price, and a truck arrives. Between those points the set crosses an ocean and a customs border, and each piece needs the right code and the right papers. We handle that part from Los Angeles. This is what happens.
The tariff code comes first
American customs sorts furniture under chapter 94 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Seats and chairs fall under 9401, most other furniture under 9403. The code decides the duty, so the first job on any order is to classify each piece: a sofa module, a dining table, a lamp and a planter can land under different lines.
We do not print duty rates on this site. Rates on goods from the European Union move with trade policy, and a figure that is right today can be wrong by the time your terrace is ready. A licensed customs broker confirms the code and the rate for your pieces, and the result goes into the quote.
On top of duty, two fees apply to most shipments. The merchandise processing fee is a small share of the declared value. The harbor maintenance fee applies when the goods arrive by sea.
The route
One order, from Amelia to the curb
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1
Quote and order
pieces, finishes and a freight estimate in one figure
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2
Built to order
the Amelia plant assembles and inspects the set
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3
Paperwork
tariff codes, Lacey Act declaration, cushion labels
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4
Ocean freight
harbor maintenance fee applies to sea shipments
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5
Customs entry
duty and the merchandise processing fee paid at entry
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6
Delivery
to your address, with the certificates on file
Wood needs a declaration
The Lacey Act covers plants and wood products. For each shipment with wood in it, the importer files form PPQ 505, which lists the scientific name of each species and its country of harvest. That covers solid teak, and it covers hidden wood too, such as plywood or particleboard inside a piece.
The Talenti Dolcevita collection shows why this matters. It mixes teak with steel and porcelain stoneware, and a dense weave of rope runs through the sofas, armchairs and loungers. The three seat sofa is 202 cm wide and the living armchair 85 cm. Each wooden part goes on the declaration, so we ask Amelia for the species data before the set ships. See the Dolcevita collection.
If a piece contains composite wood, the TSCA rule for composite wood adds a third party certificate and a label, and the records stay available for the EPA.
Talenti Casilda
Talenti Casilda by Ramon Esteve. Stainless steel frames, marble on the tables, and fabric cushions that need their flammability label before they reach you.
Cushions carry a label
California's TB 117-2013 is the flammability standard for upholstered furniture, and in practice sellers across the country follow it. Sofas, armchairs, poufs and seat cushions need a permanent label of at least 2 by 3 inches, and the label has a box that says whether the maker added flame retardants.
The Talenti Casilda collection, drawn by Ramon Esteve, has a modular sofa, a living armchair, a pouf, a sunbed and a daybed, all on stainless steel frames. The cushions in that list need its label before it leaves the plant, so we confirm it with Amelia when we place the order. The tables use marble and stainless steel and need no label. See the Casilda collection.
Proposition 65 is the other California rule to know. If a product contains a listed chemical above the safe level, it needs a warning on the item or on the shelf beside it. We ask the factory for the material data and check it against the list.
Checklist
The paperwork, piece by piece
| Document or rule | Applies to | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| HTS chapter 94 | All furniture | 9401 for seats, 9403 for other furniture; the code sets the duty |
| Lacey Act, form PPQ 505 | Any piece with wood | Species and country of harvest for each wooden part |
| TB 117-2013 | Upholstered seating and cushions | Permanent label, at least 2 by 3 inches, with a flame retardant box |
| TSCA, composite wood | Plywood or particleboard inside a piece | Third party certification and a label; records kept for the EPA |
| CPSC certificate | Products under a CPSC rule | A certificate based on tests at an accepted lab |
| Proposition 65 | Pieces with listed chemicals | A warning on the product or at the point of sale |
Duty rules move, so check at shipping
Two rules deserve a note. A separate duty on upholstered wooden seating applies to most countries, and the European Union sits among the exceptions; exceptions like that get reviewed. Refunds on some duties paid in 2025 and early 2026 may also be open to importers. Both move fast, and a broker checks both at the time of each shipment.
The piece itself does not change: Talenti builds it to order in Amelia, and the lead time comes from the factory with the quote.
Send us the order
Tell us the collection, the pieces and the delivery address. With the form below you get one figure back: the furniture, the freight, the duty and fees, and the paperwork above, handled before the set leaves Italy.
