Subheading · Chapter 85 · Section XVI, Machinery and mechanical appliances

HS 8538 10Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537 not equipped with their apparatus

Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles › Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases, equipped with two or more apparatus of heading 8535 or 8536, for electric control or the distribution of electricity, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus of chapter 90, and numerical control apparatus, other than switching apparatus of heading 8517 for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 v

Customs duty
7.5%
2 tariff items
GST now
18%
or 5% for some goods
Import policy
Free
Export policy
Free
Unit
kg or units
Duty in China
0%
On Indian goods
Search codesDuty abroadRates as on 20 Oct 2026

Codes under this subheading

2 codes. Duty and GST are set on the 8-digit tariff items; open the one that describes your goods.

Codes under this code
CodeDescriptionCustoms dutyGST nowUnit
8538 10 10For industrial use7.5%18%units
8538 10 90Other7.5%18%kg

Importing into India

Duty is set on each 8-digit tariff item: open one of the codes above. Basic customs duty across its 2 tariff items: 7.5%. The rules below cover this whole code.

Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty

None in force on this code as on 20 Oct 2026. 1 earlier measure has ended.

Import policy (DGFT ITC(HS)) of its tariff items

  • Free: 2 tariff items

GST

IGST on imports is the GST rate. Rates changed on 22 September 2025.

  • Now 18%, or 5% for some goods.
  • Until 21 September 2025 18%, or 12% for some goods.
  • Change: Unchanged.

The rules that set it now

GST rate rules in force
NotificationGoodsRate
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 510Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 853718%
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule I, S.No. 437Following renewable energy devices and parts for their manufacture:- (a) Bio-gas plant; (b) Solar power-based devices; (c) Solar power generator; (d) Wind mills, Wind Operated Electricity Generator (WOEG); (e) Waste to energy plants / devices; (f) Solar lantern / solar lamp; (g) Ocean waves/tidal waves energy devices/plants; (h) Photo voltaic cells, whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels. Explanation:- If the goods specified in this entry are supplied, by a supplier, along with supplies of other goods and services, one of which being a taxable service specified in the entry at S. No. 38 of the Table mentioned in the notification No. 8/2017- Integrated Tax (Rate), dated 28th June, 2017 [G.S.R. 683(E)], the value of supply of goods for the purposes of this entry shall be deemed as seventy per cent. of the gross consideration charged for all such supplies, and the remaining thirty per cent. of the gross consideration charged shall be deemed as value of the said taxable service5%
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 387Parts suitable for use solely or principally with power driven pumps primarily designed for handling water, namely, centrifugal pumps (horizontal and vertical), deep tube-well turbine pumps, submersible pumps, axial flow and mixed flow vertical pumps18%
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 473E-waste Explanation.- For the purpose of this entry, E-waste means electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I of the E- Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 (published in the Gazette of India vide G.S.R. 338 (E) dated the 23rd March, 2016), whole or in part if discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer18%

History

GST rate history
PeriodRateNotification
Until 21 Sep 202512% or 18%1/2017-Central Tax (Rate)
From 22 Sep 20255% or 18%9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)

Exporting from India

Export duty

Nil. The Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act does not list these goods, so no export duty is charged.

Duty drawback (All Industry Rates)

All Industry Rates of duty drawback under this heading
Drawback itemGoodsRateCap
8538Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of headings 8535, 8536 or 8537——
853801Of Copper2.2%Rs. 49 per Kg
853802Of Brass2.2%Rs. 39.5 per Kg
853803Of Aluminium1.4%—
853899Others1.4%—

Drawback items follow the 4-digit heading, not the 8-digit code: claim the one that describes your goods. Rates of notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.) as amended, in force on 20 Oct 2026.

Export policy (DGFT ITC(HS) Schedule 2) of its tariff items

  • Free: 2 tariff items

What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 8538 10, and China's below.

China: the same goods (8538 10)

China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 2 in force under 8538 10. Exporters see what China charges Indian goods; importers see the rebate and licences their Chinese supplier deals with.

China's tariff for these goods
China codeGoodsDuty on Indian goodsMFNImport VATExport rebateLicences
8538.10.10.00Parts of apparatus of subheading 85372010编号85372010所列装置的零件0%APTA rate, with an APTA certificate of origin0%13%13%None
8538.10.90.00Other panels, boards, etc. for goods of heading 8537品目8537货品用的其他盘、板等0%APTA rate, with an APTA certificate of origin0%13%13%None
  • India is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). With an APTA certificate of origin, Indian goods pay China's APTA rate where the line has one; China applies the lower of that and its provisional rate.
  • The export VAT rebate is what China refunds its own exporters. When China cuts it, Chinese export prices tend to rise.

Every Chinese code in full

8538.10.10Parts and accessories of goods of subheading 85372010

8538.10.10.00Parts of apparatus of subheading 85372010编号85372010所列装置的零件

For gas-insulated switchgear for line voltage >= 500 kV电压≥500kv线路用全封闭组合式高压开关装置用

Unit
kg
MFN import duty
0%
Provisional import duty
None
General import duty
50%
Import VAT
13%
Consumption tax
0%
Export duty
0%
Provisional export duty
None
Export VAT rebate
13%
Updated by China
23 Aug 2026
Licences and certificates

None.

Inspection and quarantine

None.

What the customs declaration must state
  • 0.Brand type品牌类型
  • 1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
  • 2.Application (for XX brand XX machine or universal for XX machine, etc.)用途(适用于XX品牌XX机或通用于XX机等)
  • 3.Whether fitted with apparatus of heading 8535 or 8536是否装有8535或8536所列装置
  • 4.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
  • 5.Model型号
  • 6.GTIN
  • 7.CAS
  • 8.Other其他
China's agreement rates
ASEAN
0%
Chile
0%
Pakistan
0%
New Zealand
0%
Peru
0%
Costa Rica
0%
Switzerland
0%
Iceland
0%
Australia
0%
South Korea
0%
Georgia
0%
Mauritius
0%
Maldives
0%
Cambodia
0%
Nicaragua
0%
Ecuador
0%
Serbia
0%
Hong Kong
0%
Macao
0%
Asia-Pacific (APTA)
0%
RCEP rates
Australia
0%
Brunei
0%
Cambodia
0%
South Korea
4.2%
Laos
0%
Malaysia
0%
New Zealand
0%
Singapore
0%
Thailand
0%
Vietnam
0%
Japan
4.6%
Indonesia
0%
Philippines
0%
Myanmar
0%
CIQ codes
  • 8538101000999Parts of apparatus of heading 85372010 (for fully enclosed combined high-voltage switchgear for lines of voltage ≥500kV)编号85372010所列装置的零件(电压≥500kv线路用全封闭组合式高压开关装置用)

8538.10.90Bases for boards, panels, etc., for other goods of heading 8537, not fitted with apparatus

8538.10.90.00Other panels, boards, etc. for goods of heading 8537品目8537货品用的其他盘、板等

Not fitted with switching devices未装有开关装置

Unit
kg
MFN import duty
0%
Provisional import duty
None
General import duty
50%
Import VAT
13%
Consumption tax
0%
Export duty
0%
Provisional export duty
None
Export VAT rebate
13%
Updated by China
23 Aug 2026
Licences and certificates

None.

Inspection and quarantine

None.

What the customs declaration must state
  • 0.Brand type品牌类型
  • 1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
  • 2.Application (for XX brand XX machine or universal for XX machine, etc.)用途(适用于XX品牌XX机或通用于XX机等)
  • 3.Whether fitted with apparatus of heading 8535 or 8536是否装有8535或8536所列装置
  • 4.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
  • 5.Model型号
  • 6.GTIN
  • 7.CAS
  • 8.Other其他
China's agreement rates
ASEAN
0%
Chile
0%
Pakistan
0%
New Zealand
0%
Peru
0%
Costa Rica
0%
Switzerland
0%
Iceland
0%
Australia
0%
South Korea
3.5%
Georgia
0%
Mauritius
0%
Maldives
0%
Cambodia
0%
Nicaragua
0%
Ecuador
0%
Serbia
0%
Hong Kong
0%
Macao
0%
Asia-Pacific (APTA)
0%
RCEP rates
Australia
3.5%
Brunei
3.5%
Cambodia
3.5%
South Korea
5.3%
Laos
3.5%
Malaysia
3.5%
New Zealand
4.2%
Singapore
3.5%
Thailand
3.5%
Vietnam
3.5%
Japan
3.8%
Indonesia
3.5%
Philippines
3.5%
Myanmar
3.5%
CIQ codes
  • 8538109000999Other boards, panels, etc., for goods of heading 8537 (not fitted with switching apparatus)品目8537货品用的其他盘、板等(未装有开关装置)

China's tariff as compiled by HS编码网 from China Customs, the State Council Tariff Commission and the State Taxation Administration. The Chinese is the original.

Nearby codes

Sources