Import duty on filled chocolate from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 18063100 · Dubai / UAE → India · CHOCOLATE AND OTHER FOOD PREPARATIONS CONTAINING COCOA
Data last updated: · MFN duty & IGST verified against ICEGATE (Indian Customs EDI). CEPA preferential rate per the India–UAE CEPA schedule. Verify your exact HS line before filing.
Duty breakdown on a ₹10,00,000 shipment
Enter your own value to recalculate the table below.
| Component | Standard (MFN) | CEPA |
|---|---|---|
| Basic customs duty | ₹3,00,000 | ₹0 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹30,000 | ₹0 |
| IGST | ₹66,500 | ₹50,000 |
| Total duty | ₹3,96,500 | ₹50,000 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹3,46,500 . Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
How this duty changes, year by year
India's schedule of tariff concessions (CEPA Annex 2A) sets a preferential rate for each of ten years, not one permanent figure. For HS 18063100 the modality is TEP over 5 years, reaching zero in 2026.
| Year | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026now | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEPA BCD | 24% | 18% | 12% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Rates as published in India's schedule; the agreement entered into force on 1 May 2022, so Year 1 is 2022. CEPA Annex 2A
What drives the rate
Importing filled chocolate (HS 18063100) from the UAE to India attracts a 30% MFN basic customs duty, and the India–UAE CEPA preferential rate is 0%. Filled chocolate in blocks, bars or slabs is on the liberalised side of Chapter 18, and a genuinely UAE-manufactured product qualifies under a sub-heading change plus 40% value addition. Conching, filling and moulding from bulk chocolate mass is substantial work, so the value limb is realistically attainable here — unlike the many food lines where the UAE only repacks. But note the split within the chapter: this prepared-chocolate line is liberalised while bulk 'chocolate and chocolate products' was kept on India's exclusion list, so the exact eight-digit code decides whether the duty is zero or the full rate. IGST is 5%. FSSAI governs the clearance rather than customs: an import licence, consignment-level food-import clearance, and labelling applied at origin. Confirm both the classification and the manufacturing site before quoting, since each can flip the landed cost independently. The rate is on a published staircase, not a fixed number: Annex 2A takes this line from 24% in 2022 to zero in 2026 — TEP over 5 years — with 0% the rate for 2026. A supply contract signed across that boundary is worth pricing against the later rate. The preference is worth 33% of assessable value on every consignment — the 30-point basic-duty gap plus the 10% Social Welfare Surcharge that rides on it — so it scales with shipment size rather than with effort, and the Certificate of Origin costs the same either way. Social Welfare Surcharge adds 10% on the basic duty, not on the goods, and IGST of 5% then applies to the CIF + BCD + SWS total — IGST is recoverable as input tax credit, so the durable benefit is the basic duty alone. Confirm the live rate on ICEGATE before filing; ₹10,00,000 is only the worked example above.
Import compliance & clearances
Beyond duty, importing filled chocolate (HS 18063100) into India requires the following regulatory clearances. The CEPA preferential rate does not waive any of these — they apply regardless of origin.
- DGFT Valid IEC (Importer-Exporter Code) required; ITC(HS) import policy: Free source ↗
- FSSAI Importer must hold a valid FSSAI licence; every consignment is cleared through FSSAI food-import at the port source ↗
Indicative and non-exhaustive — verify the current DGFT / BIS / FSSAI / CDSCO notification for your exact 8-digit HS line before importing. Not customs or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the import duty on filled chocolate from the UAE to India?
- The standard MFN basic customs duty is 30%; under India–UAE CEPA the preferential rate is 0%. SWS adds 10% on the basic duty and 5% IGST applies on the CIF + BCD + SWS base.
- How much can CEPA save on filled chocolate?
- On a CIF value of ₹10,00,000, total duty falls from ₹3,96,500 (MFN) to ₹50,000 (CEPA) — about ₹3,46,500 saved per shipment, scaling with consignment value.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on filled chocolate?
- A valid preferential Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) proving UAE origin under the Rules of Origin. Without it, customs charges the 30% MFN rate.