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Raw materials

Import waste paper (recovered paper)

Raw material for paper mills. 10% tariff duty, 2.5% for paper and newsprint mills under end-use conditions.

Free, with conditionsHS 4707
Basic customs duty
2.5–10%
10% (tariff); 2.5% for paper or newsprint mills under end-use conditions
Social welfare surcharge
10% of BCD
IGST
Check on ICEGA
Check on ICEGATE
India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 1.39 bn
from 88 countries

The 2.5% rate is S. No. 162 of notification 45/2025-Customs, for goods used in or supplied to a unit making paper, paperboard or newsprint, under the end-use (IGCR) procedure; the Budget 2026 amendment (2/2026-Customs) extended it to 31 Mar 2028. Traders who are not paper makers pay the 10% tariff rate. We could not confirm the current IGST rate from an official schedule — check it on ICEGATE. CBIC — Notification 45/2025-Customs (effective duty rates), 24 Oct 2025, as amended ↗

What is imported

Kraft paper and newsprint mills import old corrugated containers (OCC), mixed paper and old newspapers because Indian collection does not meet their needs. Imports under 4707 were about US$ 1.39 billion in FY 2025-26 (TradeStat), mainly from the USA, the UK, Italy, the UAE, Spain and Ireland.

Import policy · Free, with conditions

Free under ITC(HS), but recovered paper is also covered by the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016: it must be free of contamination and come with the documents those rules list. Check the conditions on the CPCB and DGFT pages before you contract.

Licences and registrations you need

  • CBIC (IGCR end-use procedure)Register under the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules on ICEGATE to claim the 2.5% end-use rate.icegate.gov.in ↗
  • CPCB / State Pollution Control BoardCompliance with the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016 and your mill’s consent to operate.cpcb.nic.in ↗

What is checked at the port

  • Customs and pollution authorities check for contamination: plastic, metal, wet or hazardous material mixed in the bales.
  • Grade check against the declared grade (for example OCC versus mixed paper).
  • End-use records under IGCR if you claim 2.5%.

Practical tips

  • Buy against a standard grade specification with a maximum prohibitive content and moisture, and get a pre-shipment inspection.
  • Ask for bale photos and loading photos for every container.

Where new importers go wrong

  • Contaminated bales — the container can be held, sent back or the importer penalised under the waste rules.
  • A trader claiming the 2.5% mill rate without being an end user.
Sources (6)
  1. CBIC — Notification 45/2025-Customs (effective duty rates), 24 Oct 2025, as amended
  2. CBIC — Customs Tariff of India (as on 30.06.2025)
  3. DGFT — ITC(HS) import policy (Schedule 1)
  4. Central Pollution Control Board
  5. Commerce Ministry TradeStat — commodity-wise imports by country (FY 2025-26)
  6. ICEGATE — Customs duty and tariff look-up

Import data

Where India buys waste paper (recovered paper)

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

Imports, 2025-26
US$ 1.39 bn
Change from 2024-25
+12.6%
Supplying countries
88
Biggest supplier
United States of America
30%
United States of America: US$ 413 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 238 mnItaly: US$ 125 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 73.3 mnSpain: US$ 61.1 mnIreland: US$ 50.1 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 45.1 mnCanada: US$ 38.8 mnSouth Africa: US$ 30.2 mnPortugal: US$ 26.3 mnSri Lanka: US$ 25.1 mnGreece: US$ 21.9 mnNetherlands: US$ 21.4 mnBelgium: US$ 18.8 mnFrance: US$ 18.3 mnUnited States of America: US$ 413 mnUnited States of AmericaUnited Kingdom: US$ 238 mnUnited KingdomItaly: US$ 125 mnItalyUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 73.3 mnUnited Arab EmiratesSpain: US$ 61.1 mnIreland: US$ 50.1 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 45.1 mnCanada: US$ 38.8 mnSouth Africa: US$ 30.2 mnSouth AfricaPortugal: US$ 26.3 mnSri Lanka: US$ 25.1 mnSri LankaGreece: US$ 21.9 mnNetherlands: US$ 21.4 mnBelgium: US$ 18.8 mnFrance: US$ 18.3 mnIndia
Where India imports waste paper (recovered paper) from — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 1.12 bn1.1k2020-212021-22: US$ 1.85 bn1.9k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.9 bn1.9k2022-232023-24: US$ 1.28 bn1.3k2023-242024-25: US$ 1.23 bn1.2k2024-252025-26: US$ 1.39 bn1.4k2025-26
India’s waste paper (recovered paper) imports · US$ million

Biggest supplying countries

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 413 mn-0.4%
2United KingdomUS$ 238 mn+62.7%
3ItalyUS$ 125 mn+54.7%
4United Arab EmiratesUS$ 73.3 mn-16.4%
5SpainUS$ 61.1 mn+36.2%
6IrelandUS$ 50.1 mn+43.4%
7Saudi ArabiaUS$ 45.1 mn-5.2%
8CanadaUS$ 38.8 mn-36.4%
9South AfricaUS$ 30.2 mn-25.7%
10PortugalUS$ 26.3 mn+29.4%
11Sri LankaUS$ 25.1 mn+4.7%
12GreeceUS$ 21.9 mn+11.8%

Which sources are growing and shrinking

Growing sources

  1. FranceUS$ 6.3 mn → US$ 18.3 mn+189.7%
  2. United KingdomUS$ 147 mn → US$ 238 mn+62.7%
  3. ItalyUS$ 80.7 mn → US$ 125 mn+54.7%
  4. NetherlandsUS$ 13.8 mn → US$ 21.4 mn+54.3%
  5. IrelandUS$ 34.9 mn → US$ 50.1 mn+43.4%
  6. SpainUS$ 44.9 mn → US$ 61.1 mn+36.2%

Shrinking sources

  1. CanadaUS$ 61.1 mn → US$ 38.8 mn-36.4%
  2. JordanUS$ 20.3 mn → US$ 14.8 mn-27.1%
  3. South AfricaUS$ 40.6 mn → US$ 30.2 mn-25.7%
  4. KuwaitUS$ 15 mn → US$ 12.4 mn-17%
  5. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 87.7 mn → US$ 73.3 mn-16.4%

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
Wste and scrp of unblechd kraft papr or paprbord or corgtd papr/p...4707 10 00US$ 612 mn+21.5%3.19 mn tonnesUS$ 0.19 per kg
Other including unsorted waste and scrap4707 90 00US$ 599 mn+19.3%3.34 mn tonnesUS$ 0.18 per kg
Wste and scrp of other papr/paprbord made of blechd chem pulp ...4707 20 00US$ 149 mn-25.1%6,41,968 tonnesUS$ 0.23 per kg
Wste and scrp of other papr/paprbord made of mechanicl pulp(e.g.new...4707 30 00US$ 28.7 mn+0.5%1,44,708 tonnesUS$ 0.20 per kg

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

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