Import duty on non-agglomerated metal carbides mixed together or with metallic binders from Dubai (UAE) to India

HS 38243000 · Dubai / UAE → India · PREPARED BINDERS FOR FOUNDRY MOULDS OR CORES

Data last updated: 20 August 2026 · 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

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 non-agglomerated metal carbides mixed together or with metallic binders (HS 38243000) from the UAE to India attracts a 7.5% MFN basic customs duty, and the India–UAE CEPA preferential rate is 0%. Mixed metal-carbide powders are the feedstock for cemented-carbide tooling, wear parts and hard-facing — inputs to India's tooling and engineering industry. CEPA removes the 7.5% basic duty. The 40% regional-value-content rule is demanding here and should be treated sceptically: tungsten and cobalt raw materials are globally sourced and the UAE has limited primary carbide production, so blending imported powders regionally rarely qualifies. The sub-heading change alone will not carry a claim, because Annex 3B requires both limbs. Tungsten and cobalt supply is also strategically sensitive and price-volatile, which means the invoice value moves for reasons unconnected to the transaction and a value-addition calculation done last year may not hold this year. Verify the powder's manufacturing origin rather than its shipping origin before claiming the preference, and keep the producer's batch documentation — grain size and binder content are recorded there alongside the plant, so the same record supports both the technical acceptance and the origin claim. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the import duty on non-agglomerated metal carbides mixed together or with metallic binders 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 non-agglomerated metal carbides mixed together or with metallic binders?

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 non-agglomerated metal carbides mixed together or with metallic binders?

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.