Import duty on handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 48182000 · Dubai / UAE → India · TOILET PAPER AND SIMILAR PAPER
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 | ₹1,00,000 | ₹0 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹10,000 | ₹0 |
| IGST | ₹1,99,800 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Total duty | ₹3,09,800 | ₹1,80,000 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹1,29,800 . Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
What drives the rate
Importing handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper (HS 48182000) from the UAE to India attracts a 10% MFN basic customs duty, and the India–UAE CEPA preferential rate is 0%. Facial tissue and paper towels are growing retail and institutional lines in India, supplied partly from Gulf converters. The basic duty falls to zero under CEPA. The 40% value-content rule hinges on whether the UAE manufactured the base paper or merely converted imported parent reels — a distinction that decides many tissue-sector origin claims, and one where converting adds real but limited value, so the calculation is genuinely marginal rather than obvious. Retail packs require packaged-commodity declarations under the Legal Metrology Act, printed at origin rather than applied at the port, while institutional buyers specify ply and absorbency instead. Confirm the reel origin with the converter, keep that evidence on file, and raise the Certificate of Origin per consignment. On a high-bulk, low-value product where freight already dominates, the duty saving is what makes the trade work. 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 11% of assessable value on every consignment — the 10-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 handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper (HS 48182000) 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 ↗
- Legal Metrology Model approval under the Legal Metrology Act for weighing and measuring instruments, plus packaged-commodity declarations on any retail pack. 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 handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper from the UAE to India?
- The standard MFN basic customs duty is 10%; 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 handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper?
- On a CIF value of ₹10,00,000, total duty falls from ₹3,09,800 (MFN) to ₹1,80,000 (CEPA) — about ₹1,29,800 saved per shipment, scaling with consignment value.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on handkerchiefs, cleansing and facial tissues and towels of paper?
- A valid preferential Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) proving UAE origin under the Rules of Origin. Without it, customs charges the 10% MFN rate.