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Import pens and stationery

10% BCD and 10% SWS. IGST is 18% on pens but nil on pencils, crayons and pastels since September 2025.

Free to importHS 9608
Basic customs duty
5–10%
10% (pens, pencils, crayons); 5% (parts of writing instruments)
Social welfare surcharge
10% of BCD
IGST
18%
18% (pens, 9608); Nil (pencils, crayons, pastels, 9609)
India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 116 mn
from 32 countries

The CBIC tariff shows 10% on all lines of 9608 and 9609. S.No. 398 of Notification 45/2025-Customs gives 5% on parts of writing instruments. Budget 2025–26 and 2026–27 made no change to chapter 96. IGST on pens of 9608 is 18% (Schedule II, Notification 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)); pencils, crayons, pastels, drawing charcoals and tailor's chalk moved from 12% to nil on 22 September 2025 (56th GST Council release). CBIC — Customs Tariff, import tariff by chapter ↗

What is imported

Premium fountain and roller-ball pens, gel pens, markers, art pencils, crayons and pastels are imported by stationery brands, art-supply shops, distributors and online sellers. In 2025–26 India imported about US$ 92 million under 9608 and US$ 25 million under 9609 (TradeStat). China leads both, with Japan strong in pens and Germany in premium pens and pencils.

Import policy · Free to import

Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 1.

Licences and registrations you need

  • Legal Metrology (LMPC)Importers of pre-packed goods for retail sale must register under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 and print the importer's name and address, MRP, net quantity, month and year of import and consumer-care details on each pack.consumeraffairs.nic.in ↗
  • CPCB (EPR — plastic packaging)An importer who brings in goods packed in plastic is treated as an importer under the Plastic Waste Management Rules and must register on the CPCB EPR portal and meet recycling targets.eprplastic.cpcb.gov.in ↗
  • BIS (status check)We found no BIS Quality Control Order for pens or pencils in force on 1 November 2026. Products for children, such as crayons sold as toys or art kits, may fall under the Toys QCO — check before you import.bis.gov.in ↗

What is checked at the port

  • Correct split between pens (18% IGST) and pencils or crayons (nil IGST) in mixed stationery consignments.
  • Sets sold as children's art kits may be treated as toys.
  • Legal Metrology labels on retail packs.

Practical tips

  • List each product line separately on the invoice so customs can apply the right IGST to each.
  • Time art-supply imports before the school and exam season, when demand is highest.

Where new importers go wrong

  • Calling a mixed set of pens and pencils a “pencil set” to pay nil IGST on the whole set.
  • Importing kits with toy-like packaging and no BIS mark.
Sources (11)
  1. CBIC — Customs Tariff, import tariff by chapter
  2. CBIC — Notification 45/2025-Customs dated 24.10.2025 (effective BCD rates)
  3. Ministry of Finance (TRU) — explanatory letter on Budget 2025–26 customs changes
  4. Ministry of Finance (TRU) — explanatory letter on Budget 2026–27 customs changes
  5. CBIC — Notification 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate) dated 17.09.2025
  6. GST Council — 56th meeting press release (rates from 22.09.2025)
  7. Bureau of Indian Standards — products under compulsory certification
  8. Department of Consumer Affairs — Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities)
  9. CPCB — EPR portal for plastic packaging
  10. Department of Commerce — TradeStat (India's import data by commodity and country)
  11. ICEGATE — Customs e-filing portal (tariff and duty lookup)

Import data

Where India buys pens and stationery

India’s imports from the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, financial years.

Imports, 2025-26
US$ 116 mn
Change from 2024-25
+16.1%
Supplying countries
32
Biggest supplier
China
60%
China: US$ 69.8 mnJapan: US$ 22.2 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6.5 mnGermany: US$ 5.4 mnVietnam: US$ 2.7 mnFrance: US$ 1.3 mnHong Kong: US$ 1 mnUnited States of America: US$ 800kMalaysia: US$ 790kSouth Korea: US$ 640kItaly: US$ 500kIndonesia: US$ 490kSwitzerland: US$ 420kTaiwan: US$ 410kChina: US$ 69.8 mnChinaJapan: US$ 22.2 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6.5 mnUnited Arab EmiratesGermany: US$ 5.4 mnGermanyVietnam: US$ 2.7 mnVietnamFrance: US$ 1.3 mnHong Kong: US$ 1 mnHong KongUnited States of America: US$ 800kUnited States of AmericaMalaysia: US$ 790kSouth Korea: US$ 640kItaly: US$ 500kIndonesia: US$ 490kSwitzerland: US$ 420kTaiwan: US$ 410kIndia
Where India imports pens and stationery from — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 37.8 mn382020-212021-22: US$ 65.9 mn662021-222022-23: US$ 95.2 mn952022-232023-24: US$ 103 mn1032023-242024-25: US$ 100 mn1002024-252025-26: US$ 116 mn1162025-26
India’s pens and stationery imports · US$ million

Biggest supplying countries

Name2025-26Change
1ChinaUS$ 69.8 mn+16.1%
2JapanUS$ 22.2 mn+12.5%
3United Arab EmiratesUS$ 6.5 mn+37.2%
4GermanyUS$ 5.4 mn+6.1%
5VietnamUS$ 2.7 mn+55.8%
6Marshall IslandUS$ 1.4 mn+33.3%
7FranceUS$ 1.3 mn-5.1%
8Hong KongUS$ 1 mn+56.1%
9United States of AmericaUS$ 800k+25%
10MalaysiaUS$ 790k0%
11South KoreaUS$ 640k-8.6%
12ItalyUS$ 500k0%

Which sources are growing and shrinking

Growing sources

  1. VietnamUS$ 1.7 mn → US$ 2.7 mn+55.8%
  2. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 4.7 mn → US$ 6.5 mn+37.2%
  3. Marshall IslandUS$ 1.1 mn → US$ 1.4 mn+33.3%
  4. ChinaUS$ 60.1 mn → US$ 69.8 mn+16.1%
  5. JapanUS$ 19.8 mn → US$ 22.2 mn+12.5%

Shrinking sources

None

Which forms come in, and at what price

Imports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Parts excluding pen nibs,nib pnts and pencl leads9608 99 90US$ 21 mn+34.7%3,092 tonnesUS$ 6.78 per kg
Other ball-point pens without liquid ink (for rolling ball pen)9608 10 99US$ 15.7 mn+2.2%122 mn piecesUS$ 0.13 per piece
Felt-tppd and other porous-tipd pens and mrkrs9608 20 00US$ 10.7 mn+29.6%109 mn piecesUS$ 0.10 per piece
Pencils and crayons,with leads encased in a sheath9609 10 00US$ 10.4 mn+7.6%3,355 tonnesUS$ 3.09 per kg
Other nib points of non-metal9608 91 99US$ 10.4 mn+5.7%8.11 bn piecesUS$ 0.00 per piece
Other ball-point pens with liquid ink (for rolling ball pen)9608 10 19US$ 8.9 mn+20.4%211 mn piecesUS$ 0.04 per piece
Other pncls;pstls,charcoalsand chalks9609 90 90US$ 5.1 mn-0.2%5,291 tonnesUS$ 0.97 per kg
Pencil leads,black/coloured9609 20 00US$ 4.7 mn+42.8%1,245 tonnesUS$ 3.81 per kg
Pens, fountain, stylograph and other pens — other fountain pens9608 30 19US$ 4.6 mn+18%30.1 mn piecesUS$ 0.15 per piece
Other refills for ball point pens9608 60 90US$ 4.5 mn+31.3%95.4 mn piecesUS$ 0.05 per piece
Pastels, drawing charcoals, writing or drawing chalks, tailors' chalk — other pencils9609 90 20US$ 3.8 mn+23.5%1,239 tonnesUS$ 3.09 per kg
Propelling/sliding pencils9608 40 00US$ 3.5 mn+95.5%88.0 mn piecesUS$ 0.04 per piece

Source: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

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