Subheading · Chapter 96 · Section XX, Miscellaneous manufactured articles
HS 9608 91Pen nibs and nib points
Miscellaneous manufactured articles › Ball point pens; felt tipped and other poroustipped pens and markers; fountain pens; stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen holders, pencil holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 9609
- Customs duty
- 10%
- 5 tariff items
- GST now
- 0% or 18%
- depending on the goods
- Import policy
- Free
- Export policy
- Free
- Unit
- units
- Duty in China
- 8%
- On Indian goods
Codes under this subheading
5 codes. Duty and GST are set on the 8-digit tariff items; open the one that describes your goods.
| Code | Description | Customs duty | GST now | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9608 91 10 | Nib points for pen | 10% | 0% or 18% | units |
| 9608 91 20 | Nibs of wool felt or plastics for use in the manufacture of porous tip pen or markers | 10% | 0% or 18% | units |
| 9608 91 30 | Other pen nibs | 10% | 0% or 18% | units |
| 9608 91 91 | Of metal | 10% | 0% or 18% | units |
| 9608 91 99 | Other | 10% | 0% or 18% | units |
Importing into India
Duty is set on each 8-digit tariff item: open one of the codes above. Basic customs duty across its 5 tariff items: 10%. The rules below cover this whole code.
Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty
None in force on this code as on 20 Oct 2026.
Import policy (DGFT ITC(HS)) of its tariff items
- Free: 5 tariff items
GST
IGST on imports is the GST rate. Rates changed on 22 September 2025.
- Now 0% or 18%, depending on the goods.
- Until 21 September 2025 12% or 18%, depending on the goods.
- Change: Changed.
The rules that set it now
| Notification | Goods | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 10/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule Exempt, S.No. 163 | Pencils (including propelling or sliding pencils), crayons, pastels, drawing charcoals, writing or drawing chalks and tailor's chalk; Slate pencils and chalk sticks | Nil |
| 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 626 | Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens; stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; pen holders, pencil holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 9609 | 18% |
History
| Period | Rate | Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Until 21 Sep 2025 | 12% or 18% | 1/2017-Central Tax (Rate) |
| From 22 Sep 2025 | 0% or 18% | 10/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate); 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)
| Drawback item | Goods | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9608 | Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens; stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen holders, pencil holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 9609 | — | — |
| 960801 | Ball point pens | 4.2% | Rs. 269 per 1000 Pcs |
| 960802 | Felt tipped and other porous tipped pens and markers | 4.4% | Rs. 633 per 1000 Pcs |
| 960803 | Fountain pens; stylograph pens and other pens | 4.2% | Rs. 269 per 1000 Pcs |
| 960804 | Propelling or sliding pencils | 2.2% | Rs. 260 per 1000 Pcs |
| 960899 | Others including parts | 1.4% | — |
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: 5 tariff items
What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 9608 91, and China's below.
China: the same goods (9608 91)
China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 1 in force under 9608 91. Exporters see what China charges Indian goods; importers see the rebate and licences their Chinese supplier deals with.
| China code | Goods | Duty on Indian goods | MFN | Import VAT | Export rebate | Licences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9608.91.00.00 | Pen nibs and nib-points钢笔头及笔尖粒 | 8%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line) | 8% | 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
9608.91.00Pen nibs and nib-points
9608.91.00.00Pen nibs and nib-points钢笔头及笔尖粒
- Unit
- piece / kg
- MFN import duty
- 8%
- Provisional import duty
- None
- General import duty
- 70%
- 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.Type种类
- 3.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
- 4.Model型号
- 5.GTIN
- 6.CAS
- 7.Other其他
China's agreement rates
- ASEAN
- 0%
- Chile
- 0%
- Pakistan
- 1.8%
- 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
- 3.2%
- Ecuador
- 3.2%
- Serbia
- 0%
- Hong Kong
- 0%
- Macao
- 0%
RCEP rates
- Australia
- 0%
- Brunei
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 6%
- Laos
- 0%
- Malaysia
- 0%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Singapore
- 0%
- Thailand
- 0%
- Vietnam
- 0%
- Japan
- 6.5%
- Indonesia
- 0%
- Philippines
- 0%
- Myanmar
- 0%
CIQ codes
- 9608910000999Pen nibs and nib-points钢笔头及笔尖粒
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
- GSTN HSN code masterChecked 13 Oct 2026
- DGFT ITC(HS) import and export policyChecked 9 Oct 2026
- GST rate per HSN (archived GSTZen extract)Checked 29 Sep 2026
- Customs Tariff of India (First Schedule): sections, chapters, notes and statutory BCDChecked 19 Oct 2026
- GST rates on goods, before and after 22 September 2025Checked 18 Oct 2026
- BIS compulsory certification: products and Quality Control OrdersChecked 18 Oct 2026
- Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties in force (India)Checked 19 Oct 2026
- India's export duty (Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and notifications 27/2011, 55/2022, 22/2024)Checked 19 Oct 2026
- India's All Industry Rates of duty drawback (notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.))Checked 19 Oct 2026
- China customs tariff (HS编码网)Checked 19 Oct 2026
For information, not a customs ruling. Only notifications published in the Gazette have legal force; confirm the duty with your customs broker or ICEGATE before you price a deal.