Import duty on ballasts for compact fluorescent lamps from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 85041020 · 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 compact fluorescent lamps (HS 85041020) 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. CFL ballasts and electronic control gear sit outside India's offer entirely, confirmed as EXC across all ten years of the schedule. The 18% IGST is creditable. Like conventional ballasts these need BIS certification under both the Compulsory Registration Order and the applicable quality-control order — the overseas manufacturer must be registered and the goods marked before import, which is a factory-level commitment rather than a shipment-level document. And like them, the category is being displaced by integrated LED drivers, so the registration cost is being weighed against a shrinking market. For importers the honest read is that no preferential route exists, none is scheduled to appear, and the segment is contracting. That makes this page useful mainly to confirm the rate and the certification requirement before committing to a sourcing decision, rather than as the basis for a new programme. Anyone quoted a CEPA rate on this heading should ask which line the quote was built from. 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 compact fluorescent lamps (HS 85041020) 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 compact fluorescent lamps 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 compact fluorescent lamps?
- 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 compact fluorescent lamps?
- 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.