R.K. Jain’s Customs Tariff, IGST & Foreign Trade Policy Rate Reckoner | 2025-26 with Mega Exemption Notifications

Description

R.K. Jain’s Customs Tariff, IGST & Foreign Trade Policy — Rate Reckoner (with Supplement on Mega Exemption Notifications, October 2025) is a three-volume, practitioner-centric desk reference that takes you from classification to compliance in one place. At the 8-digit HSN level, each tariff line shows the final import duty with a clean breakup of BCD, preferential/effective rates, AIDC, SWS, NCCD, Health Cess, Compensation Cess, IGST, and a ‘Total’ duty column—alongside policy conditions, chapter-relevant GST links, and product-specific e-way bill exemptions. Additionally, it consolidates the Customs Tariff (import & export), IGST law/notifications, general & chapter-wise exemptions, Rules of Origin/FTAs, and the anti-dumping/safeguard frameworks, allowing the reader to calculate landed cost, verify reliefs, and document eligibility without juggling sources. This 4^th Edition has been further supplemented to incorporate the landmark Customs reform effected through Notification Nos. 44/2025-Cus. & 45/2025-Cus., both dated 24-10-2025, which together consolidate 31 earlier exemption notifications into a single, unified Mega Exemption Notification. While the effective duty structure remains unchanged, this reform has restructured the entire exemption framework to ensure simplification, uniformity, and ease of reference across all tariff entries. This Edition, comprising Volumes 1, 2, and the Supplement, is fully updated up to 25-10-2025, capturing the new IGST rates notified on 17-09-2025, all Customs and IGST amendments up to 01-10-2025, and the subsequent Mega Exemption Notifications dated 24-10-2025. It is developed under the editorial guidance of CA. Kishore Harjani within the authoritative R.K. Jain framework. Designed for trade, compliance, and advisory teams, it pairs the book’s ‘final-rate’ orientation with a complimentary, always-updated Customs Tariff Tool (a duty calculator worth ₹5,000) for on-the-go HSN validation and real-time computations. In short, it is a comprehensive rate-reckoner and policy manual that enables the reader to move confidently and quickly from HSN heading to total duty and FTP/GST conditions.

This two-volume reference is designed for readers involved in customs, trade, and indirect tax compliance—from professionals and advisors to industry and administration.

• Customs & Indirect-tax Practitioners – For quick, reliable classification, valuation, and rate determination across BCD, IGST, cesses, and preferential duties
• Importers, Exporters & Industry (incl. MSMEs) – To verify applicable duties, FTP benefits, FTA preferences, and exemption notifications while calculating the final landed cost
• Customs Brokers, CHAs, Consultants & Advisors – For preparing Bills of Entry, evaluating tariff concessions, and validating documentation or trade-remedy exposure
• Legal & Tax Professionals (Advocates, CA, CMA, CS) – For handling classification disputes, notifications, circulars, rulings, and litigation strategy in customs or GST
• Trade & Logistics Teams, CFOs & Compliance Managers – For rate certainty, policy interpretation, and real-time cost estimation in procurement and supply chains
• Government Departments & Customs/GST/FTP Officials – As a dependable interpretative manual aligned with the latest statutory amendments, notifications, and case-law tables
• Academicians, Researchers & Students of Indirect Tax or International Trade – For authentic statutory texts, Rules of Origin, safeguard/anti-dumping provisions, and analytical indexes useful for teaching, research, and examination

The Present Publication is the 4^th Edition | 2025-26, edited by CA. Kishore Harjani has the following noteworthy features:

• [Fully Updated Edition (as on 25th October 2025)] Incorporates all Customs and IGST rate changes, including the new IGST Notifications dated 17-09-2025, amendments effective from 22-09-2025, and the Mega Exemption Notifications Nos. 44/2025-Cus. & 45/2025-Cus. dated 24-10-2025, ensuring complete alignment with current statutory updates
• [HSN-wise Final Duty at a Glance] Each tariff grid delivers the total import duty at the 8-digit HSN level, combining Basic Customs Duty (BCD), Preferential/Effective Rates, AIDC, SWS, NCCD, Health Cess, Compensation Cess, and IGST into one integrated ‘Total (%)’ rate—supported by a worked computation model illustrating how each levy builds into the final duty
• [Comprehensive Duty Mapping] Presents every applicable levy in a single, cross-linked structure, eliminating the need to consult multiple sources for information. The computation mechanism (BCD → AIDC/Health/SWS → IGST → Cess) is explained step-by-step under ‘About the Book’
• [Nine-part Architecture for Quick Reference] The tariff is organised into nine parts across two volumes, covering:
  • Import & Export Tariffs
  • General Exemptions
  • IGST on Imports
  • Cesses & Additional Duties (AIDC, SWS, Health, NCCD, Compensation, etc.)
  • Rules of Origin, FTAs/CEPAs, CAROTAR 2020
  • Safeguard, Anti-dumping & Countervailing Duties
  • Comprehensive Indexes & Annexures
• [General Exemptions & FTP Integration] Part 3 consolidates all major exemption notifications (e.g., Defence, EPCG, SEZ/EOU, R&D, Exhibitions, Relief Consignments, IAEA, UN Imports) with operative conditions, judicial notes, and FTP references, making it a ready-use compliance digest
• [Supplement on Mega Exemption Notifications (October 2025)] Introduced as the Third Volume, this Supplement consolidates the 31 earlier exemption notifications into one comprehensive Mega Notification (No. 45/2025-Cus., dated 24-10-2025) and a corresponding Notification No. 44/2025-Cus. for cesses. It includes:
  • A List of Superseded Notifications with cross-references to Volume 2 for backward mapping
  • A Comparative Table of Changes showing modifications, omissions, and restructuring between old and new entries
  • Changes in FTP conditions/restrictions from 1-10-2025 to 25-10-2025 with mapped page references to Volume 1
  • A summary of key structural reforms, such as the omission of expired exemptions, the introduction of time limits, and the merging of overlapping entries
  • Reference to the DPIIT’s Guidebook on HSN Mapping (Sept. 2025) to align classification across Customs and FTP
• [Rules of Origin & Preferential Trade Agreements] Includes complete text of Rules of Origin under APTA, SAFTA, ASEAN, Chile, MERCOSUR, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, UAE, Australia (ECTA 2022), and EFTA (TEPA 2025), along with CAROTAR 2020 procedures and case-law pointers—helping readers evaluate FTA eligibility
• [Trade-remedy Frameworks Simplified] Full coverage of Anti-dumping, Safeguard, and Countervailing Duty Rules and notifications with operative conditions, sample tables (for sectors like electronics, chemicals, and metals), and notes on refund and review mechanisms
• [Regulatory & Judicial Cross-referencing] Each topic is supported with relevant circulars, advance rulings, and judicial decisions, providing clarity on classification, valuation, and applicability
• [User-friendly Design] Clean 8-digit tariff tables with units, remarks, and total-rate columns; visual consistency across chapters; and quick-access indexes, including a Commodity Index (plain-language to HSN) and a Chronological List of Notifications for instant back-tracking
• [Complimentary Digital Companion] Includes free access to the ‘Always-Updated Customs Tariff Tool’ (worth ₹5,000) for on-the-go duty computation, notification look-ups, and post-Budget recalculations
• [Functional Architecture] Together, Volumes 1, 2, and the Supplement follow the compliance workflow—from tariff classification and rate computation to exemptions, cesses, trade-remedy provisions, and rules of origin. This integrated organisation enables coherent, statute-backed interpretation of import duties and related GST implications
• [Practical Orientation] Each tariff entry functions as a self-contained compliance record, combining rate computation, FTP policy, GST linkage, and relevant notifications within a single framework. The set’s design ensures accuracy, transparency, and ease of navigation for professionals engaged in classification, valuation, or trade-policy implementation

The coverage of the book is as follows:

• Volume 1 – Tariff & Chapter-wise Aids
  • This volume presents the complete framework of India’s Customs Tariff, structured to provide a consolidated view of all applicable import duties, cesses, and policy conditions at the eight-digit HSN level.
    • Tariff Components – Basic, Preferential, and Effective Rates of Customs Duty; Agriculture Infrastructure & Development Cess (AIDC); Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS); National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD); Health and Compensation Cess; and Integrated GST (IGST), culminating in a single ‘Total Rate of Import Duty’
    • Policy Integration – Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) conditions and import-policy status (Free, Restricted, Prohibited) appear alongside tariff entries for direct compliance reference
    • Chapter-wise Aids – Each chapter incorporates relevant judicial pronouncements, advance rulings, and departmental circulars linked to classification, exemptions, and IGST application
    • Practical Add-ons – Includes cross-references to product-specific e-way bill exemptions, related GST rates, anti-dumping and safeguard duty implications, and export tariff references
    • Working Notes – Front sections provide clear guidance on interpreting tariff tables, units, abbreviations, and rate-computation methodology
• Volume 2 – IGST, Exemptions, Cesses & Trade Remedies
  • This companion volume consolidates the operational ecosystem that surrounds the tariff—covering general exemptions, IGST notifications, cesses, and trade-remedy measures—supported by statutory texts and detailed annexures
    • General Exemptions – A comprehensive digest of exemption notifications for diverse categories such as defence and police imports, EPCG/SEZ/EOU schemes, research and educational imports, exhibitions, donations, and relief consignments. Each entry lists notification references, monetary thresholds, and operative conditions
    • IGST on Imports – A ‘bird’s-eye view’ of the Integrated GST framework, followed by all IGST notifications on law, procedures, rates, and exemptions, ensuring clarity on valuation and applicability at the import stage
    • Annexures – Detailed reproductions of provisions relating to cesses and additional duties, including Compensation Cess, AIDC, SWS, NCCD, Road & Infrastructure Cess, and Health Cess. Also covers the IGCR (Concessional Duty) Rules, Baggage Rules 2016, and Project Imports Regulations
    • Rules of Origin & CAROTAR 2020 – A consolidated repository of origin rules across all major trade agreements—APTA, SAFTA, ASEAN, MERCOSUR, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, UAE (CEPA), Australia (ECTA 2022), and EFTA (TEPA 2025)—alongside CAROTAR 2020 procedures for preferential-duty claims
    • Trade Remedies – Complete texts of Safeguard, Anti-dumping, and Countervailing Duty Rules, accompanied by operative notifications, refund provisions, and illustrative sectoral tables for practical reference
    • Miscellaneous – Includes a commodity index mapping common trade descriptions to tariff headings and a chronological list of basic notifications for quick navigation
• Supplement – Mega Exemption Notifications
  • This newly introduced third volume provides a comprehensive reference to the Government’s consolidation of 31 Customs exemption notifications through Notification Nos. 44/2025-Cus. & 45/2025-Cus., dated 24-10-2025. It bridges the transition from multiple fragmented notifications to a single, unified framework and serves as an essential interpretative companion to Volumes 1 and 2.
    • Consolidation & Reorganisation – Integrates 31 notifications into one comprehensive ‘Mega Notification’, eliminating duplication and merging overlapping entries across sectors
    • Cross-reference Architecture – Provides a notification-wise mapping of superseded entries to Volume 2 and comparative tables showing additions, omissions, and restructured conditions
    • FTP Condition Updates – Captures changes in FTP conditions and restrictions between 1-10-2025 and 25-10-2025 with page references to Volume 1
    • Structural Simplification – Highlights editorial changes such as omission of expired entries, introduction of time-bound validity, and standardisation of serial numbers and conditions
    • DPIIT HSN Guidebook Integration – References the Guidebook on Mapping of HSN Codes (Sept 2025) issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to assist in harmonised classification
    • Legal and Procedural Context – Reproduces key extracts from CBIC circulars and Board communications accompanying the reform for accurate implementation and cross-reference