Tariff item · Chapter 96 · Section XX, Miscellaneous manufactured articles
HS 9608 99 90Ball 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: other
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
- Customs duty
- 10%
- Tariff rate
- GST now
- 0% or 18%
- depending on the goods
- Import policy
- Free
- Export policy
- Free
- Unit
- kg
- Duty in China
- 8% to 12%
- On Indian goods
Importing into India
What customs charges, what trade agreements take off, and the rules the goods must meet.
Customs duty
| Duty | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Basic customs duty (BCD), MFN rate | 10% | Assessable value |
| Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) | Nil | Assessable value11/2021-Customs, S.No. 17 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS) | 10% of BCD, AIDC and Health Cess | BCD + AIDC |
| Integrated GST (IGST) | 0% or 18% | Assessable value + BCD + AIDC + SWS |
Lower duty under trade agreements
| Agreement | Customs duty | Goods from |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN–India FTA | 0% | Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam |
| Duty-free tariff preference for LDCs | 0% | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Cambodia, Comoros, Laos, Liberia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Chad, Togo, Timor-Leste, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia |
| India–Australia ECTA | 0% | Australia |
| India–Japan CEPA | 0% | Japan |
| India–Korea CEPA | 0% | South Korea |
| India–Malaysia CECA | 0% | Malaysia |
| India–Singapore CECA | 0% | Singapore |
| India–Sri Lanka FTA | 0% | Sri Lanka |
| India–UK CETA29/2026-Customs | 0% | United Kingdom |
| SAFTA | 0% | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal |
| India–Chile PTA | 2% | Chile |
| India–UAE CEPA | 2% | United Arab Emirates |
| SAFTA | 5% | Sri Lanka |
| SAPTA | 5% | Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal |
| India–EFTA TEPA52/2025-Customs | 6% | Norway |
| India–EFTA TEPA51/2025-Customs | 7.14% | Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein |
| India–Oman CEPA20/2026-Customs | 8% | Oman |
Goods from Pakistan pay 200%.
Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty
None in force on this code as on 19 Oct 2026.
Import policy (DGFT ITC(HS))
- Free.
Notes on these rates
- BCD is the statutory tariff rate from a one-time snapshot of the Indian Trade Portal. Exemption notifications (such as 45/2025-Customs) and tariff changes made after the snapshot, including the Finance Act 2026 changes from 1 May 2026, are not applied.
- IGST comes from our archived GST table, which still has the 12% and 28% slabs, so it may pre-date the GST rate changes of 22 September 2025. Check the current rate.
- AIDC, Health Cess and the SWS exemptions are read from notifications 11/2021-Customs, 08/2020-Customs and 11/2018-Customs as amended (to 16/2026-Customs), and the notifications that lower AIDC for a while. SWS is 10% of BCD, AIDC and Health Cess together (Finance Act 2018, s.110), never of anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard duty or IGST.
- AIDC is Nil (S.No. 17 of 11/2021-Customs, which exempts all goods it does not name).
- Not included: GST compensation cess, anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties, and exemptions or concessions such as end-use, EOU/SEZ or project imports.
- This does not check whether the import is allowed (DGFT import policy, licences, quality-control orders). The HS code explorer shows the import policy.
- This is an estimate, not an assessment. Confirm the duty with your customs broker or ICEGATE's duty calculator before you price a deal.
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 19 Oct 2026.
Export incentives (RoDTEP and RoSCTL)
- RoDTEP, Appendix 4R (exports from the domestic tariff area): 0.5% of the FOB value, until 31 Dec 2026.
- RoDTEP, Appendix 4RE (exports under Advance Authorisation, EOU or SEZ): 0.3% of the FOB value, until 31 Dec 2026.
Export policy (DGFT ITC(HS) Schedule 2)
- Free.
What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 9608 99, and China's below.
China: the same goods (9608 99)
China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 3 in force under 9608 99. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9608.99.10.00 | Pens for machines or instruments机器、仪器用笔 | 8%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line) | 8% | 13% | 13% | None |
| 9608.99.20.00 | Stylus for wax stencils, pen-holders, pencil-holders and the like蜡纸铁笔,钢笔杆,铅笔杆等 | 12%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line) | 12% | 13% | 13% | None |
| 9608.99.90.00 | Other parts of pens其他笔零件 | 10%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line) | 10% | 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
9608.99.10Pens for machines or instruments
9608.99.10.00Pens for machines or instruments机器、仪器用笔
- Unit
- piece / kg
- MFN import duty
- 8%
- Provisional import duty
- None
- General import duty
- 40%
- 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.For use in machines or instruments用于何种机器仪器
- 4.Working principle工作原理
- 5.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
- 6.Model型号
- 7.GTIN
- 8.CAS
- 9.Other其他
China's agreement rates
- ASEAN
- 0%
- Chile
- 0%
- Pakistan
- 4.2%
- 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
- 6.4%
- Serbia
- 5.6%
- Hong Kong
- 0%
- Macao
- 0%
RCEP rates
- Australia
- 0%
- Brunei
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 8.8%
- Laos
- 0%
- Malaysia
- 0%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Singapore
- 0%
- Thailand
- 0%
- Vietnam
- 0%
- Japan
- 9.5%
- Indonesia
- 0%
- Philippines
- 0%
- Myanmar
- 0%
CIQ codes
- 9608991000999Pens for machines or instruments机器、仪器用笔
9608.99.20Styli for wax stencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders
9608.99.20.00Stylus for wax stencils, pen-holders, pencil-holders and the like蜡纸铁笔,钢笔杆,铅笔杆等
Including similar pen-holders, but excluding goods of heading 9609包括类似笔杆,但品目9609的货品除外
- Unit
- piece / kg
- MFN import duty
- 12%
- Provisional import duty
- None
- General import duty
- 80%
- 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
- 16.8%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Peru
- 0%
- Costa Rica
- 0%
- Switzerland
- 0%
- Iceland
- 0%
- Australia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 8.4%
- Georgia
- 0%
- Mauritius
- 0%
- Maldives
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- Nicaragua
- 8.4%
- Ecuador
- 10.2%
- Serbia
- 8.4%
- Hong Kong
- 0%
- Macao
- 0%
RCEP rates
- Australia
- 15.8%
- Brunei
- 15.8%
- Cambodia
- 15.8%
- South Korea
- 15.8%
- Laos
- 15.8%
- Malaysia
- 15.8%
- New Zealand
- 16.8%
- Singapore
- 15.8%
- Thailand
- 15.8%
- Vietnam
- 15.8%
- Japan
- 16%
- Indonesia
- 15.8%
- Philippines
- 15.8%
- Myanmar
- 15.8%
CIQ codes
- 9608992000101Stylos, pen-holders, pencil-holders, etc. (including similar holders, but excluding goods of heading 9609) (stylos)蜡纸铁笔,钢笔杆,铅笔杆等(包括类似笔杆,但品目9609的货品除外)(蜡纸铁笔)
- 9608992000102Stylus pens, pen-holders, pencil-holders, etc. (incl. similar holders, but excluding goods of heading 9609) (pen-holders, etc.)蜡纸铁笔,钢笔杆,铅笔杆等(包括类似笔杆,但品目9609的货品除外)(笔杆等)
9608.99.90Other parts of pens
9608.99.90.00Other parts of pens其他笔零件
incl. caps, clips, but excluding goods of heading 96.09包括笔帽、笔夹,但品目9609的货品除外
- Unit
- kg
- MFN import duty
- 10%
- Provisional import duty
- None
- General import duty
- 80%
- 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
- 16.8%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Peru
- 0%
- Costa Rica
- 0%
- Switzerland
- 0%
- Iceland
- 0%
- Australia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 8.4%
- Georgia
- 0%
- Mauritius
- 0%
- Maldives
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- Nicaragua
- 7%
- Ecuador
- 8%
- Serbia
- 7%
- Hong Kong
- 0%
- Macao
- 0%
RCEP rates
- Australia
- 15.8%
- Brunei
- 15.8%
- Cambodia
- 15.8%
- Laos
- 15.8%
- Malaysia
- 15.8%
- New Zealand
- 16.8%
- Singapore
- 15.8%
- Thailand
- 15.8%
- Vietnam
- 15.8%
- Indonesia
- 15.8%
- Philippines
- 15.8%
- Myanmar
- 15.8%
CIQ codes
- 9608999000999Other parts of pens (including caps and clips, but excluding goods of heading 9609)其他笔零件(包括笔帽、笔夹,但品目9609的货品除外)
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 import tariff by origin (Indian Trade Portal snapshot)Checked 29 Sep 2026
- GST schedule headings and 8-digit IGST (archived)Checked 29 Sep 2026
- HS code descriptions (archived file)Checked 29 Sep 2026
- India's effective basic customs duty (notification 45/2025-Customs, Table I)Checked 19 Oct 2026
- India's AIDC, Health Cess and Social Welfare Surcharge exemptions (11/2021, 08/2020, 11/2018-Customs)Checked 18 Oct 2026
- India's preferential tariff schedules (CBIC notifications)Checked 19 Oct 2026
- India's export duty (Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and notifications 27/2011, 55/2022, 22/2024)Checked 18 Oct 2026
- India's All Industry Rates of duty drawback (notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.))Checked 19 Oct 2026
- RoDTEP export incentive rates (DGFT Appendix 4R and 4RE)Checked 18 Oct 2026
- RoSCTL rebate for apparel and made-ups (Ministry of Textiles): periods and ratesChecked 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.