Import duty on sodium formate from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 29151210 · Dubai / UAE → India · SATURATED ACYCLIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND THEIR ANHYDR
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 | ₹75,000 | ₹0 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹7,500 | ₹0 |
| IGST | ₹1,94,850 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Total duty | ₹2,77,350 | ₹1,80,000 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹97,350 . Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
What drives the rate
Importing sodium formate (HS 29151210) from the UAE to India attracts a 7.5% MFN basic customs duty, and the India–UAE CEPA preferential rate is 0%. Sodium formate serves oil-field drilling fluids, leather tanning and de-icing applications, with Indian demand linked to both energy services and the tanning belt. The basic duty falls to zero under CEPA. Being a salt produced from formic acid, the 40% value-content rule turns on whether the UAE synthesised it or merely blended and bagged imported material — a distinction customs will test, and one the supplier can answer precisely because neutralising acid to a salt is a recorded process step rather than a judgement call. Oil-field grades carry specification requirements from the service company, and those records name the producing plant, which is the same fact the origin claim asserts. Keep production and origin documentation together and file the Certificate of Origin per consignment; on a repeat industrial line the documentation is a one-time setup rather than a per-shipment negotiation. India's schedule (Annex 2A, modality TEI) took this line to zero in the agreement's first year, 2022, so the preference is fully phased in and nothing further changes. The preference is worth 8.25% of assessable value on every consignment — the 7.5-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 18% 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 sodium formate (HS 29151210) 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 ↗
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 sodium formate from the UAE to India?
- The standard MFN basic customs duty is 7.5%; under India–UAE CEPA the preferential rate is 0%. SWS adds 10% on the basic duty and 18% IGST applies on the CIF + BCD + SWS base.
- How much can CEPA save on sodium formate?
- On a CIF value of ₹10,00,000, total duty falls from ₹2,77,350 (MFN) to ₹1,80,000 (CEPA) — about ₹97,350 saved per shipment, scaling with consignment value.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on sodium formate?
- A valid preferential Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) proving UAE origin under the Rules of Origin. Without it, customs charges the 7.5% MFN rate.