Import duty on silver, unwrought — grains from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 71069110 · Dubai / UAE → India · SILVER
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.
Import restricted
DGFT lists this line as Restricted under ITC(HS) Schedule 1 (Import Policy), so it needs an import authorisation or must meet the stated condition — it is not freely importable. DGFT condition: Imports through nominated agencies notified by the Reserve Bank of India, in the case of banks, and by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, in the case of other agencies, and by qualified jewellers as notified by the IFSCA for import through India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) shall be permitted only against a valid Import Authorisation issued by the DGFT. Silver dore can be imported by refineries against a license with AU Condition. source ↗
Duty breakdown on a ₹10,00,000 shipment
Enter your own value to recalculate the table below.
| Component | Standard (MFN) | CEPA |
|---|---|---|
| Basic customs duty | ₹1,00,000 | ₹60,000 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹10,000 | ₹6,000 |
| IGST | ₹33,300 | ₹31,980 |
| Total duty | ₹1,43,300 | ₹97,980 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹45,320 . Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
How this duty changes, year by year
India's schedule of tariff concessions (CEPA Annex 2A) sets a preferential rate for each of ten years, not one permanent figure. For HS 71069110 the modality is TEP over 10 years, reaching zero in 2031.
| Year | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026now | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEPA BCD | 9.5% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 0% |
Rates as published in India's schedule; the agreement entered into force on 1 May 2022, so Year 1 is 2022. CEPA Annex 2A
What drives the rate
Importing silver, unwrought — grains (HS 71069110) from the UAE to India attracts a 10% MFN basic customs duty, and the India–UAE CEPA preferential rate is 6%. Silver grain is the standard trade form for jewellers and industrial users who melt to specification, and the UAE is a major bullion re-export hub feeding Indian demand. The CEPA rate is a phased cut rather than a full removal, stepping down over ten years, and the low IGST keeps recoverable tax modest. The origin test is a sub-heading change with only 3% value addition — one of the lightest thresholds in the whole schedule — so genuinely UAE-refined grain qualifies easily; the risk is bullion simply traded through Dubai without any qualifying processing, which fails even a 3% test. Match the refiner's assay and origin declaration to the Certificate of Origin so all three name the same plant. Silver is Restricted for import, so only nominated agencies, nominated banks and qualified jewellers may bring it in at any rate. The rate is on a published staircase, not a fixed number: Annex 2A takes this line from 9.5% in 2022 to zero in 2031 — TEP over 10 years — with 6% the rate for 2026. A supply contract signed across that boundary is worth pricing against the later rate. The preference is worth 4.4% of assessable value on every consignment — the 4-point basic-duty gap plus the 10% Social Welfare Surcharge that rides on it — so it scales with shipment size rather than with effort, and the Certificate of Origin costs the same either way. Social Welfare Surcharge adds 10% on the basic duty, not on the goods, and IGST of 3% then applies to the CIF + BCD + SWS total — IGST is recoverable as input tax credit, so the durable benefit is the basic duty alone. Confirm the live rate on ICEGATE before filing; ₹10,00,000 is only the worked example above.
Import compliance & clearances
Beyond duty, importing silver, unwrought — grains (HS 71069110) into India requires the following regulatory clearances. The CEPA preferential rate does not waive any of these — they apply regardless of origin.
- DGFT Restricted — gold/silver importable only through nominated agencies / qualified jewellers; CEPA TRQ imports routed through IIBX 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 silver, unwrought — grains from the UAE to India?
- The standard MFN basic customs duty is 10%; under India–UAE CEPA the preferential rate is 6%. SWS adds 10% on the basic duty and 3% IGST applies on the CIF + BCD + SWS base.
- How much can CEPA save on silver, unwrought — grains?
- On a CIF value of ₹10,00,000, total duty falls from ₹1,43,300 (MFN) to ₹97,980 (CEPA) — about ₹45,320 saved per shipment, scaling with consignment value.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on silver, unwrought — grains?
- A valid preferential Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) proving UAE origin under the Rules of Origin. Without it, customs charges the 10% MFN rate.