Import duty on ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 85041010 · Dubai / UAE → India · ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS
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.
No CEPA benefit
This line is excluded from India's India–UAE CEPA tariff offer, so the 7.5% MFN basic customs duty applies regardless of origin. The goods are normally importable — there is simply no preferential rate to claim.
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 | ₹75,000 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹7,500 | ₹7,500 |
| IGST | ₹1,94,850 | ₹1,94,850 |
| Total duty | ₹2,77,350 | ₹2,77,350 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹0 (no basic-duty benefit at these rates). Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
What drives the rate
Importing ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type (HS 85041010) from the UAE to India attracts a 7.5% MFN basic customs duty, and CEPA does not reduce it — this line is excluded from India's tariff offer, so the 7.5% MFN rate applies whatever the origin. Conventional wire-wound ballasts serve fluorescent and discharge lighting, a category in structural decline as LED replaces it. The 7.5% MFN duty is unchanged by CEPA — Annex 2A shows EXC in all ten years — and the 18% IGST is recoverable. Ballasts require BIS certification, which is the real gate at clearance: most electrical goods are notified under the Compulsory Registration Order, meaning the manufacturer must itself be registered with BIS and the product marked before it can be imported, and a separate quality-control order requires a licence under the Conformity Assessment Scheme. Both are obligations on the overseas factory, not paperwork the importer can assemble after the fact. The commercially useful point on this line is not the duty at all: India's LED transition means conventional ballast demand is shrinking, new BIS registrations are hard to justify against a declining volume, and spares availability is the actual planning problem for anyone maintaining an installed base of older lighting. There is no basic-duty gap to claim on this line at current rates, so a Certificate of Origin buys nothing here today; it is worth re-checking when either the MFN rate or the CEPA schedule moves. 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, but the basic duty here is a real, unrecoverable cost. Confirm the live rate on ICEGATE before filing; ₹10,00,000 is only the worked example above.
Import compliance & clearances
Beyond duty, importing ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type (HS 85041010) 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 ↗
- BIS Mandatory BIS certification before clearance under the applicable Quality Control Order — the overseas manufacturer must hold a licence under the BIS Conformity Assessment Scheme and mark the goods accordingly. source ↗
- BIS Most electrical goods are notified under the Compulsory Registration Order — the manufacturer must be registered with BIS and the product marked before it can be imported. 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 ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type from the UAE to India?
- The basic customs duty is 7.5%. This line is largely excluded from India–UAE CEPA, so no preferential rate applies. SWS adds 10% on the basic duty and 18% IGST applies on top.
- How much can CEPA save on ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type?
- At current rates there is no basic-duty saving on this line under CEPA, so the landed duty is the same as the MFN route.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on ballasts for discharge lamps, conventional type?
- 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.