Importing from China to India: BIS and Customs Rules

Importing from China to India comes down to four moving parts: an Importer Exporter Code (IEC), duty math built on Basic Customs Duty plus a Social Welfare Surcharge and IGST, BIS certification for regulated products, and Legal Metrology labeling. Get those right and your container clears. Miss one and it sits at the port while charges pile up.

India layers product certification, retail labeling rules, and sometimes anti-dumping duties on top of the standard duty calculation. Most of the pain importers report traces back to discovering BIS requirements after the goods have shipped. A sourcing partner like CN Ally helps at the planning stage, screening Chinese suppliers for BIS-ready factories first. This guide covers the process: what duty you pay, how to register as an importer, when BIS applies, what your labels must carry, how clearance works, and which port to use.

How much duty do you pay when importing from China to India?

Expect three layers of duty on most goods, calculated in a specific order. First, Basic Customs Duty (BCD), which depends on the product's HSN code and typically runs 5 to 40 percent. Raw materials sit at the low end, finished consumer goods toward the high end. Then the Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS), a flat 10 percent on the aggregate of customs duties, excluding IGST. Finally, Integrated GST (IGST), charged at the GST slab for the product category, usually 5 to 28 percent, calculated on the customs value plus BCD plus SWS.

The arithmetic matters because each layer feeds the next. On a $10,000 CIF shipment of machinery with 7.5 percent BCD: BCD is $750, SWS adds $75, and 18 percent IGST applies to $10,825, giving $1,948.50. Total border tax lands around $2,774, or 27.7 percent. Note that anti-dumping duties and safeguard duties can sit on top of all this for specific products from China. India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) maintains anti-dumping measures on a range of Chinese goods, from chemicals to steel products to electronics components. Always check whether your HSN code carries an anti-dumping duty before confirming a bulk order, because it is not visible in the standard BCD schedule.

Duty component · Basis · Typical rate

• Basic Customs Duty (BCD): CIF value, varies by HSN · 5–40%
• Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS): 10% of BCD + other customs duties · 10%
• IGST: CIF + BCD + SWS · 5–28%
• Anti-dumping duty: CIF value, product-specific · Varies
• GST compensation cess: Specific goods (cars, tobacco) · Varies

Do you need an IEC to import from China?

Yes. Every commercial importer in India needs an Importer Exporter Code, a 10-digit number issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Customs will not clear a commercial shipment without one. The good news is that registration is cheap and fast.

You apply online through the DGFT portal using Form ANF-2A. The documents are straightforward: your PAN card, identity proof, business address proof, and a cancelled cheque or bank certificate. The government fee is ₹500, and approval typically takes one to three working days. The code has lifetime validity, though holders must confirm or update their details annually between April and June. Personal-use imports, government departments, and goods from Nepal or Myanmar under small-value thresholds are exempt, but none of these exemptions help a commercial buyer sourcing from China.

GST registration is the natural next step. It is not legally required to import, but without it you cannot claim the IGST you pay at the border as an input tax credit. For a B2B importer, that changes the real cost of the shipment dramatically.

What is BIS certification, and when does your product need it?

This is the section most first-time importers skip and later regret. The Bureau of Indian Standards makes certification mandatory for a long list of products through Quality Control Orders (QCOs). If your product is on that list, it cannot legally be manufactured, imported, sold, or distributed in India without the BIS mark. Customs can and does hold non-compliant shipments.

There are two schemes that matter for importers. The ISI mark scheme covers products like steel, cement, pressure cookers, electrical cables, and household appliances. It requires product testing plus a factory inspection by BIS officials. The Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) covers electronics and IT products: testing in a BIS-recognized laboratory, but no factory inspection, so it moves faster. CRS products get a registration number rather than the physical ISI mark.

Scheme · Products · Factory inspection · Timeline feel

• ISI mark (Scheme I): Steel, cement, cables, appliances, toys · Yes · Slower
• CRS (Scheme II): Electronics, IT goods, LED lights, batteries · No · Faster
• Neither: Non-notified goods · No · N/A

Foreign manufacturers face one extra requirement: they must appoint an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) who handles the BIS application, testing coordination, and ongoing compliance from within India. This is where many Chinese factories stall. A factory that has never exported to India usually has no AIR, and the registration clock does not start until the testing and application are done. Before you place an order for anything electronic or regulated, ask the factory whether it already holds BIS registration for the product. If the answer is vague, budget several weeks and get a compliance consultant involved early. Quality inspections and factory audits are the natural point to verify that a supplier's BIS paperwork actually matches what they claim.

Which products fall under BIS CRS registration?

The CRS list keeps expanding as the government notifies new quality standards. If you are importing electronics or IT goods from China, assume you need it until you confirm otherwise. Products commonly covered include:

• Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and notebooks
• LED bulbs, luminaires, and LED drivers
• Power banks, chargers, and power adapters
• CCTV cameras and recorders
• Smart watches and wearables
• Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and earphones
• Set-top boxes, printers, and scanners
• Batteries, UPS units, and inverters
• Wireless keyboards and mice

The exact applicable Indian Standard for each product is set by the relevant MeitY or DPIIT notification, and the categories can change with new QCOs. Always verify against the current BIS list of products under compulsory certification rather than relying on a consultant's older summary. Non-notified goods, ordinary apparel, simple plastic housewares, and most unregulated consumer products do not need BIS certification, which is one reason those categories clear customs with far less friction.

What labeling rules apply to goods imported from China?

India's Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 apply to every package meant for retail sale, including imports. The mandatory declarations are specific: the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or importer; the common or generic name of the commodity; the net quantity in standard metric units; the month and year of manufacture or packing; the Maximum Retail Price inclusive of all taxes; consumer care contact details; and, for imported goods, the country of origin.

That last item trips up Chinese suppliers regularly. A carton printed for the domestic Chinese market or for export to Europe will not carry an MRP in rupees, an Indian importer address, or a country-of-origin declaration in the required format. The rules say imported packaged commodities must bear all mandatory declarations before customs release. In practice, if the overseas packaging does not comply, the goods must be re-labeled before clearance, under the supervision of Legal Metrology officers, or under FSSAI supervision for food products.

Pre-shipment verification is far cheaper than supervised re-labeling at the port. Review the factory's proposed packaging artwork against the declaration checklist before the production run is confirmed. The single most common Legal Metrology violation is MRP formatting, so make sure your supplier prints the MRP inclusive of all taxes in the prescribed format rather than a bare factory price.

How does customs clearance actually work at Indian ports?

The process runs through ICEGATE, the customs electronic platform, and in practice almost every importer works through a licensed Customs House Agent, now formally called a customs broker. The broker files the Bill of Entry, computes duties, and deals with examination and assessment.

A typical clearance sequence looks like this: the broker files the Bill of Entry with the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, and certificate of origin. Customs assesses the declared value, checks the HSN classification, and confirms duty. Depending on the risk profile, the shipment may be physically examined. Duty is paid, an out-of-charge order is issued, and the container is released. For a clean shipment with correct documents, clearance commonly takes a few working days. For a shipment with classification disputes, missing BIS documents, or labeling problems, it can take weeks, and port storage charges accumulate daily.

Document · What it does · Who provides it

• Bill of Entry: The import declaration filed with customs · Customs broker
• Commercial invoice: Declared transaction value · Chinese supplier
• Packing list: Item-by-item contents · Chinese supplier
• Bill of lading / airway bill: Transport contract · Forwarder
• Certificate of origin: Confirms goods originate in China · Chinese supplier
• BIS registration: Mandatory for regulated products · Manufacturer/importer
• IEC copy: Your importer identity · You

What about food, cosmetics, and medical devices?

Some product families carry their own import licensing on top of everything above. Food imports need an FSSAI import license, and labeling must satisfy both the FSSAI Labelling and Display Regulations and the Legal Metrology rules at the same time. The two frameworks overlap but differ in format: FSSAI adds ingredient lists and nutritional information to what Legal Metrology already demands. Medical devices require an import license from CDSCO, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. Cosmetics fall under CDSCO registration as well. None of these are same-week processes, so if your category touches health, food, or medical use, start the licensing well before the factory finishes production.

Which Indian port should you ship to?

Most China-to-India container traffic lands at three ports. Nhava Sheva (JNPT) near Mumbai handles the largest volumes and has the deepest bench of customs brokers and bonded warehousing. Mundra in Gujarat is the other west-coast giant, often competitive on rates for cargo heading to northern India. Chennai is the main east-coast gateway, best for cargo destined for southern India. Air freight goes through Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, or Chennai airports.

Port · Coast · Best for

• Nhava Sheva (JNPT): West · Largest volumes, most broker options
• Mundra: West · Northern India destinations, competitive rates
• Chennai: East · Southern India, electronics corridor
• Kolkata/Haldia: East · Eastern India, Bangladesh transit trade

Pick the port by where the goods are going, not by where the forwarder quotes the cheapest ocean rate. Inland haulage from the wrong coast can erase any ocean freight saving.

Can you claim back the taxes paid at the border?

Partly, and the split matters. The IGST you pay at the border is creditable: a GST-registered business claims it as input tax credit against the GST charged on domestic sales, so it is not a real cost for a compliant B2B importer. The BCD and the Social Welfare Surcharge are not creditable. They stay in your landed cost permanently. This is one of the quiet reasons importing works better for GST-registered B2B companies than for unregistered traders or end consumers: the same shipment genuinely costs less for a business that can absorb the IGST credit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need BIS certification for samples or personal imports?

BIS applies to commercial manufacture, import, sale, and distribution. Small quantities imported strictly for personal use fall outside commercial import rules, but the line between a "sample" and a commercial shipment is drawn by customs based on quantity and intent. If you are testing the market, keep sample orders small and clearly non-commercial.

What happens if my goods arrive without BIS registration?

Customs can detain the shipment, and you cannot clear it until the product is certified. In practice that means warehousing costs while the manufacturer rushes through testing, or re-exporting the goods. This is why certification must be confirmed before the factory ships, never after.

How long does customs clearance take in India?

A clean shipment with correct documents and no examination flag typically clears in a few working days. Anything with a classification dispute, missing certification, or labeling issues can take weeks. Port demurrage accrues daily, so document accuracy is the cheapest form of speed.

Can I import from China without a customs broker?

Legally you can file yourself, but almost no one does. The Bill of Entry process, duty computation, and examination handling reward experience. The broker's fee is small compared with the cost of a classification error or a week of demurrage.

Is there anti-dumping duty on Chinese goods in India?

On specific products, yes. DGTR maintains anti-dumping measures on a range of Chinese-origin goods, and the list changes as investigations conclude. Because these duties sit outside the standard BCD schedule, check your HSN code against current DGTR notifications before pricing your landed cost. A forwarder quoting only BCD may be understating the total.

Do I need a certificate of origin for imports from China?

It is one of the standard documents listed for clearance and helps customs confirm the declared origin, which matters for duty treatment. Your Chinese supplier or their chamber of commerce issues it. For most China-to-India shipments it is routine paperwork, but missing documents of any kind are a standard reason for clearance delays.

Your go/no-go checklist before the first order

Work through these five questions before you transfer a deposit to a Chinese supplier. Is your IEC active and your GST registration in place? Is your product's HSN code free of anti-dumping duty, and have you computed the full landed cost with BCD, SWS, and IGST? Does the product need BIS certification, and does the factory already hold it? Does the packaging artwork carry every Legal Metrology declaration, including MRP and country of origin? And is your customs broker briefed on the product before the vessel sails? If any answer is uncertain, resolve it first. The cheapest container is the one that clears on the first attempt. For help vetting suppliers, planning certification, or coordinating shipping and logistics from China to India, email hi@cnally.com.