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Engineering goods

Export valves and taps

Industrial valves for oil, gas, power and water, and brass taps; the USA, the UAE and Saudi Arabia lead.

Free, with conditionsHS 8481
HS code
8481
Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances for pipes, boilers, tanks and vats, including pressure-reducing and thermostatic valves (HS 8481).
Export policy
Free, with conditions
Most valves are free to export, but certain corrosion-resistant valves for chemical plants are controlled under SCOMET (Appendix 3 to Schedule 2) and need a DGFT licence. Check the SCOMET list for your design and material.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 2.84 bn
to 164 countries

What is exported

Gujarat, Coimbatore, Maharashtra and Punjab make gate, globe, ball, butterfly and check valves, safety valves, brass taps and valve castings. In 2025-26 India exported about US$ 2.8 billion under HS 8481; the USA led, followed by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and China (Commerce Department data).

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Industrial valvesGate, globe, check, ball and butterfly valves for oil and gas, refineries, power and water.
  • Safety and pressure-reducing valvesPressure-relief and control valves for boilers and process plants.
  • Brass taps and sanitary fittingsTaps, cocks and mixers for plumbing — Jamnagar's brass parts cluster.
  • Valves for tyres and gas cylindersTube valves and LPG cylinder valves.
  • Valve parts and castingsBodies, discs and trims sold to valve makers abroad (8481 90).

Where it is grown or made

  • GujaratAhmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Jamnagar (brass)
  • Tamil NaduCoimbatore and Chennai
  • MaharashtraMumbai, Pune and Nashik
  • Punjab and HaryanaJalandhar (sanitary fittings) and Faridabad

Export packing

  • Ends are capped or blanked to keep dirt out and protect flange faces; valves are rust-protected and packed in heat-treated wooden boxes (ISPM 15).
  • Every valve carries a tag with size, pressure class, material, heat number and tag number from the buyer's list.
  • Brass taps go in printed boxes and cartons for retail.

Who buys abroad

  • Oil, gas and petrochemical EPC contractors
  • Valve distributors and stockists
  • Water utilities and plant owners
  • Valve makers abroad (castings and parts)

The quality buyers ask for

Design standards
API 600 (gate), API 602, API 6D (pipeline), API 608 (ball), API 609 (butterfly), ASME B16.34 pressure-temperature ratings
Testing
Shell and seat tests to API 598 or ISO 5208; fire-safe (API 607) and fugitive-emission (ISO 15848) tests where specified
Materials
ASTM A216 WCB, A351 CF8M, A105 and others, with mill certificates to EN 10204 3.1
Brass taps
Lead limits for drinking-water contact (for example NSF/ANSI 61 and 372 in the USA)

Certificates

  • API Monogram licence (API 6D, 600, 602 etc.)Often askedOil and gas buyers often require valves made under an API licence.
  • CE marking under the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU)Often askedNeeded for most industrial valves sold in the EU above the size and pressure thresholds.
  • Third-party inspectionRequiredProject buyers appoint inspectors (TPI) who witness tests and review documents before release.
  • ISO 9001RequiredBasic requirement in vendor registration.
  • SCOMET licence (only if listed)Often askedSome corrosion-resistant valves for chemical plants are controlled items under SCOMET (Appendix 3 to Schedule 2). Check the list before export.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Wooden boxes on pallets in 20-ft containers (heavy, so loaded by weight); large valves on skids.

How it travels

Sea from Mundra, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva and Chennai; air for urgent project items.

Storage

Indoors, ends capped, valves in the position the maker specifies (often closed for gate, open for ball).

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Body marking: maker, size, pressure class, body material, heat number and flow arrow (MSS SP-25).
  • Nameplate with serial number, standard, trim and API Monogram or CE mark where applicable.
  • Country of origin ('Made in India') on the product or its packing, as the buyer's customs require.
Where to get it tested

The Fluid Control Research Institute (FCRI), Palakkad, Kerala, tests and calibrates valves and flow equipment. NABL-accredited labs test materials (chemical and mechanical) for mill certificates. For API and PED, the licensing or notified body audits your plant.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • EEPC India (Engineering Export Promotion Council)RCMC for valves and other engineering goods.eepcindia.org ↗
  • DGFT (SCOMET)Export licence only if the valve is a SCOMET-listed item.dgft.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Oil and gas buyers often require API-licensed valves (API 6D, 600, 602, 608) with tests to API 598.
  • EU: CE marking under the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) for most industrial valves.
  • Full material traceability with EN 10204 3.1 certificates; third-party inspection on project orders.
How to start small

Start with valve castings or standard industrial valves for distributors and stockists, or brass parts from Jamnagar. Get ISO 9001, then an API licence, and register on the approved-vendor lists of Gulf EPC contractors.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Shipping a SCOMET-listed valve without a licence.
  • Heat numbers that do not match the mill certificates.
  • Incomplete document dossiers that hold up project payments.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (6)
  1. Department of Commerce, Export Import Data Bank — India's exports of HS 8481 by country, 2025-26
  2. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  3. DGFT — SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) export controls
  4. American Petroleum Institute — API Monogram and licensing programme
  5. European Commission — Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU)
  6. EEPC India (Engineering Export Promotion Council) — official site

Trade data

Indian valves and taps exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 2.84 bn
+16.2% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +14.5%
US$ 2.48 bn → US$ 2.84 bn
Buyer countries
164
Average export price
US$ 18.04
per kg · 1,57,391 tonnes shipped · US$ 18.02 the year before
United States of America: US$ 655 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 273 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 252 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 148 mnChina: US$ 140 mnItaly: US$ 118 mnFrance: US$ 114 mnGermany: US$ 107 mnSpain: US$ 98.5 mnSingapore: US$ 98.3 mnCanada: US$ 56.1 mnSouth Korea: US$ 49.7 mnBrazil: US$ 45.4 mnRussia: US$ 43.6 mnAustralia: US$ 43.4 mnMalaysia: US$ 33.1 mnQatar: US$ 31.9 mnMexico: US$ 28.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 24.8 mnNepal: US$ 22.4 mnTürkiye: US$ 22.2 mnThailand: US$ 21.5 mnIsrael: US$ 18.9 mnOman: US$ 18.7 mnKuwait: US$ 18.1 mnUnited States of America: US$ 655 mnUnited States of AmericaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 273 mnUnited Arab EmiratesSaudi Arabia: US$ 252 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 148 mnUnited KingdomChina: US$ 140 mnChinaItaly: US$ 118 mnItalyFrance: US$ 114 mnGermany: US$ 107 mnSpain: US$ 98.5 mnSingapore: US$ 98.3 mnSingaporeCanada: US$ 56.1 mnSouth Korea: US$ 49.7 mnBrazil: US$ 45.4 mnRussia: US$ 43.6 mnAustralia: US$ 43.4 mnMalaysia: US$ 33.1 mnQatar: US$ 31.9 mnMexico: US$ 28.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 24.8 mnNepal: US$ 22.4 mnTürkiye: US$ 22.2 mnThailand: US$ 21.5 mnIsrael: US$ 18.9 mnOman: US$ 18.7 mnKuwait: US$ 18.1 mnIndia
Where Indian valves and taps goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 1.34 bn1.3k2020-212021-22: US$ 1.57 bn1.6k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.9 bn1.9k2022-232023-24: US$ 2.17 bn2.2k2023-242024-25: US$ 2.48 bn2.5k2024-252025-26: US$ 2.84 bn2.8k2025-26
India’s valves and taps exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2020-21, lowest in 2021-22 — a 32% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 19.27 per kg19.272021-22: US$ 14.58 per kg14.582022-23: US$ 15.27 per kg2024-25: US$ 18.02 per kg2025-26: US$ 18.04 per kg18.042020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian valves and taps · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 1.34 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 1.57 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 1.9 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 2.17 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 2.48 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 2.84 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 3.36 bn (US$ 3.26 bn – US$ 3.46 bn)3.4k2026-272027-28: US$ 3.9 bn (US$ 3.77 bn – US$ 4.04 bn)3.9k2027-28
India’s valves and taps exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 3.9 bn

Likely range US$ 3.77 bn to US$ 4.04 bn.

Trend
+16.2% a year
Fit (R²)
1
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 655 mn+4.4%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 273 mn+22.3%
3Saudi ArabiaUS$ 252 mn+33.8%
4United KingdomUS$ 148 mn+90.7%
5ChinaUS$ 140 mn+16.3%
6ItalyUS$ 118 mn+45.5%
7FranceUS$ 114 mn+10.7%
8GermanyUS$ 107 mn+10.4%
9SpainUS$ 98.5 mn+58.7%
10SingaporeUS$ 98.3 mn+12.8%
11CanadaUS$ 56.1 mn+14.8%
12South KoreaUS$ 49.7 mn+16.3%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. United KingdomUS$ 77.5 mn → US$ 148 mn+90.7%
  2. SpainUS$ 62.1 mn → US$ 98.5 mn+58.7%
  3. ItalyUS$ 80.8 mn → US$ 118 mn+45.5%
  4. RussiaUS$ 30.9 mn → US$ 43.6 mn+40.8%
  5. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 188 mn → US$ 252 mn+33.8%
  6. AustraliaUS$ 33.2 mn → US$ 43.4 mn+30.7%
  7. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 223 mn → US$ 273 mn+22.3%
  8. ChinaUS$ 121 mn → US$ 140 mn+16.3%

Low demand

  1. OmanUS$ 43.1 mn → US$ 18.7 mn-56.7%
  2. QatarUS$ 45.9 mn → US$ 31.9 mn-30.6%
  3. NetherlandsUS$ 33.7 mn → US$ 24.8 mn-26.4%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Industrial valves(excluding pressure-reducing valves,and thrmstcly contrlld valves)8481 80 30 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…US$ 1.05 bn+11.1%59,351 tonnesUS$ 17.62 per kgwas US$ 18.66
Other parts of the items undr hdg 84818481 90 90 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, parts thereofUS$ 949 mn+7.5%66,620 tonnesUS$ 14.24 per kgwas US$ 14.82
Others-of-other appliances :8481 80 90 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…US$ 444 mn+43.7%11,992 tonnesUS$ 36.99 per kgwas US$ 28.27
Valves, pressure reducing, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like — pressure-reducing valves8481 10 00US$ 125 mn+23.7%4,850 tonnesUS$ 25.81 per kgwas US$ 24.12
Valves for oleohydraulic/pneumatic trnsmsns8481 20 00 · Valves, for oleohydraulic or pneumatic transmissionsUS$ 97.9 mn-3.5%4,662 tonnesUS$ 21.00 per kgwas US$ 23.84
Valves, check valves, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like — check valves8481 30 00US$ 56.5 mn+34.3%3,669 tonnesUS$ 15.39 per kgwas US$ 14.51
Taps,cocks etc. of non-ferrous metal8481 80 20 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…US$ 39.8 mn+9.6%2,016 tonnesUS$ 19.74 per kgwas US$ 17.59
Valves, safety or relief valves, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like — safety/relief valves8481 40 00US$ 34.7 mn+26.9%1,378 tonnesUS$ 25.18 per kgwas US$ 22.46
Taps,cocks etc. of iron/steel8481 80 10 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…US$ 19.4 mn+17.8%1,295 tonnesUS$ 14.98 per kgwas US$ 17.42
Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including… — other inner tube valves8481 80 49US$ 11 mn+22.7%701 tonnesUS$ 15.72 per kgwas US$ 17.23
Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including… — expansion valves8481 80 50US$ 8.9 mn+17.9%226 tonnesUS$ 39.35 per kgwas US$ 49.63
Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, parts thereof — bicycles valves8481 90 10US$ 7.3 mn+42.4%574 tonnesUS$ 12.66 per kgwas US$ 13.27
Inner tube valves for bicyles8481 80 41 · Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including…US$ 650k0%57 tonnesUS$ 11.34 per kgwas US$ 10.66

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 107 bn
2023
India among exporters
#11
of 155 countries
India’s share of world exports
1.9%
US$ 2.12 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 106.6 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 21.2 bn 19.5%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 15.4 bn 14.2%
  3. 3USAUS$ 13.4 bn 12.4%
  4. 4ItalyUS$ 8.96 bn 8.2%
  5. 5JapanUS$ 4.43 bn 4.1%
  6. 6United KingdomUS$ 3.53 bn 3.2%
  7. 7MexicoUS$ 3.37 bn 3.1%
  8. 8FranceUS$ 3.05 bn 2.8%
  9. 9Rep. of KoreaUS$ 2.27 bn 2.1%
  10. 10SwitzerlandUS$ 2.16 bn 2%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 17.4 bn 16.3%
  2. 2ChinaUS$ 9.17 bn 8.6%
  3. 3GermanyUS$ 7.98 bn 7.5%
  4. 4MexicoUS$ 4.38 bn 4.1%
  5. 5CanadaUS$ 3.9 bn 3.6%
  6. 6United KingdomUS$ 3.88 bn 3.6%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 3.88 bn 3.6%
  8. 8ItalyUS$ 2.8 bn 2.6%
  9. 9Rep. of KoreaUS$ 2.71 bn 2.5%
  10. 10JapanUS$ 2.57 bn 2.4%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 18.3 bnIndia 3.7% · gap US$ 17.6 bn
ChinaUS$ 9.34 bnIndia 2.1% · gap US$ 9.14 bn
GermanyUS$ 8.09 bnIndia 1.9% · gap US$ 7.94 bn
CanadaUS$ 3.97 bnIndia 1.8% · gap US$ 3.9 bn
FranceUS$ 3.87 bnIndia 1.4% · gap US$ 3.81 bn
United KingdomUS$ 3.88 bnIndia 2.4% · gap US$ 3.79 bn
ItalyUS$ 2.85 bnIndia 3% · gap US$ 2.76 bn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 2.92 bnIndia 6.2% · gap US$ 2.74 bn
South KoreaUS$ 2.72 bnIndia 1.8% · gap US$ 2.67 bn
JapanUS$ 2.47 bnIndia 1.2% · gap US$ 2.44 bn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export valves and taps

India is a large maker of industrial valves for oil and gas, refineries, power and water, with clusters in Gujarat, Coimbatore and Maharashtra, and of brass taps and parts in Jamnagar. China, Italy, Germany and the USA are the main competitors. In 2025-26 the USA, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and China were the largest buyers (Commerce Department data). Oil, gas and petrochemical projects in the Gulf and replacement demand in the USA drive the trade. Buyers expect API, ISO and PED certification and full material traceability. Openings are in API-certified industrial valves, valve castings and forgings for global valve makers, and brass parts.

  1. 01Register with EEPC India

    Valves are engineering goods under EEPC.

  2. 02Check SCOMET

    Confirm your valve is not a SCOMET-listed item; if it is, apply for a licence on DGFT.

  3. 03Get certified

    ISO 9001 first; API licence and PED CE marking for oil, gas and EU buyers.

  4. 04Get on vendor lists

    Register with EPC contractors and end users (approved manufacturer lists).

  5. 05Make, test and inspect

    Pressure tests on every valve, with third-party witness where required.

  6. 06Deliver the document dossier

    Mill certificates, test reports and inspection release note go with the shipment.

  7. 07Ship and claim benefits

    File the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the correct 8-digit HS code, declare RoDTEP and drawback, and keep the mill or test certificates with the export file.

  8. 08Get paid safely

    Use an LC or documents against payment with new buyers, take ECGC cover for open-account sales, and close the export with an e-BRC once the money arrives.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting valves and taps

Are valves free to export?
Generally yes, but certain corrosion-resistant valves for chemical plants are SCOMET items needing a DGFT licence. Check the SCOMET list for your design and materials.
Do I need an API licence?
Not by law, but many oil and gas buyers specify API-monogrammed valves. It decides which projects you can bid for.
What incentives apply?
RoDTEP of 0.9% on most lines and drawback of 1.5% (2.2% for brass valves, capped per kg).
What is a 3.1 certificate?
An EN 10204 type 3.1 inspection certificate issued by the manufacturer's independent quality department, showing actual test results for the material heat.
Why are shipments held at inspection?
Missing or mismatched heat numbers, incomplete test records, or paint and marking that do not match the specification.
Sources (8)
  1. EEPC India (Engineering Export Promotion Council) — official site
  2. American Petroleum Institute — API Monogram and licensing programme
  3. European Commission — Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU)
  4. DGFT — SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) export controls
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10.10.2024 (Notification 32/2024-25); rates continued to 31.12.2026 by Notification 41/2026-27
  6. Gazette of India — Notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.) dated 20.10.2023: All Industry Rates of duty drawback
  7. NABL — search for accredited testing laboratories
  8. Department of Commerce, Export Import Data Bank — India's exports of HS 8481 by country, 2025-26

Who buys Indian valves and taps

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