Subheading · Chapter 52 · Section XI, Textiles and textile articles
HS 5204 20Put up for retail sale
Cotton › Cotton sewing thread, whether or not put up for retail sale
- Customs duty
- 10%
- 5 tariff items
- GST now
- 5%
- Import policy
- Free
- Export policy
- Free
- Unit
- kg
- Duty in China
- 5%
- On Indian goods
Codes under this subheading
5 codes. Duty and GST are set on the 8-digit tariff items; open the one that describes your goods.
| Code | Description | Customs duty | GST now | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5204 20 10 | Cotton thread, sewing, containing any synthetic staple fibre | 10% | 5% | kg |
| 5204 20 20 | Cotton thread, darning | 10% | 5% | kg |
| 5204 20 30 | Embroidery cotton thread | 10% | 5% | kg |
| 5204 20 40 | Cotton sewing thread, not containing any synthetic staple fibre | 10% | 5% | kg |
| 5204 20 90 | Other | 10% | 5% | kg |
Importing into India
Duty is set on each 8-digit tariff item: open one of the codes above. Basic customs duty across its 5 tariff items: 10%. The rules below cover this whole code.
Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty
None in force on this code as on 19 Oct 2026.
Import policy (DGFT ITC(HS)) of its tariff items
- Free: 5 tariff items
GST
IGST on imports is the GST rate. Rates changed on 22 September 2025.
- Now 5%.
- Until 21 September 2025 5%.
- Change: Unchanged.
The rules that set it now
| Notification | Goods | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule I, S.No. 332 | Cotton sewing thread, whether or not put up for retail sale | 5% |
History
| Period | Rate | Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Until 21 Sep 2025 | 5% | 1/2017-Central Tax (Rate) |
| From 22 Sep 2025 | 5% | 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate) |
Exporting from India
Export duty
Nil. The Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act does not list these goods, so no export duty is charged.
Duty drawback (All Industry Rates)
| Drawback item | Goods | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5204 | Cotton sewing thread, whether or not put up for retail sale | 2.2% | Rs. 25.8 per Kg |
Drawback items follow the 4-digit heading, not the 8-digit code: claim the one that describes your goods. Rates of notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.) as amended, in force on 19 Oct 2026.
Export policy (DGFT ITC(HS) Schedule 2) of its tariff items
- Free: 5 tariff items
What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 5204 20, and China's below.
China: the same goods (5204 20)
China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 1 in force under 5204 20. Exporters see what China charges Indian goods; importers see the rebate and licences their Chinese supplier deals with.
| China code | Goods | Duty on Indian goods | MFN | Import VAT | Export rebate | Licences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5204.20.00.00 | Cotton sewing thread, put up for retail sale零售用棉制缝纫线 | 5%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line) | 5% | 13% | 13% | None |
- India is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). With an APTA certificate of origin, Indian goods pay China's APTA rate where the line has one; China applies the lower of that and its provisional rate.
- The export VAT rebate is what China refunds its own exporters. When China cuts it, Chinese export prices tend to rise.
Every Chinese code in full
5204.20.00Cotton sewing thread, put up for retail sale
5204.20.00.00Cotton sewing thread, put up for retail sale零售用棉制缝纫线
- Unit
- kg
- MFN import duty
- 5%
- Provisional import duty
- None
- General import duty
- 50%
- Import VAT
- 13%
- Consumption tax
- 0%
- Export duty
- 0%
- Provisional export duty
- None
- Export VAT rebate
- 13%
- Updated by China
- 23 Aug 2026
Licences and certificates
None.
Inspection and quarantine
None.
What the customs declaration must state
- 0.Brand type品牌类型
- 1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
- 2.For retail sale or not是否供零售用
- 3.Ingredient content成分含量
- 4.Yarn count纱线细度
- 5.Weight per piece每只重量
- 6.Sized or not是否上浆
- 7.Final twist direction终捻捻向
- 8.GTIN
- 9.CAS
- 10.Other其他
China's agreement rates
- ASEAN
- 0%
- Chile
- 0%
- Pakistan
- 0%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Peru
- 0%
- Costa Rica
- 0%
- Switzerland
- 0%
- Iceland
- 0%
- Australia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 0%
- Georgia
- 0%
- Maldives
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- Nicaragua
- 0%
- Ecuador
- 0%
- Serbia
- 0%
- Hong Kong
- 0%
- Macao
- 0%
RCEP rates
- Australia
- 0%
- Brunei
- 0%
- Cambodia
- 0%
- South Korea
- 0%
- Laos
- 0%
- Malaysia
- 0%
- New Zealand
- 0%
- Singapore
- 0%
- Thailand
- 0%
- Vietnam
- 0%
- Japan
- 0%
- Indonesia
- 0%
- Philippines
- 0%
- Myanmar
- 0%
CIQ codes
- 5204200000999Cotton sewing thread, put up for retail sale零售用棉制缝纫线
China's tariff as compiled by HS编码网 from China Customs, the State Council Tariff Commission and the State Taxation Administration. The Chinese is the original.
Nearby codes
Sources
- GSTN HSN code masterChecked 13 Oct 2026
- DGFT ITC(HS) import and export policyChecked 9 Oct 2026
- GST rate per HSN (archived GSTZen extract)Checked 29 Sep 2026
- Customs Tariff of India (First Schedule): sections, chapters, notes and statutory BCDChecked 19 Oct 2026
- GST rates on goods, before and after 22 September 2025Checked 18 Oct 2026
- BIS compulsory certification: products and Quality Control OrdersChecked 18 Oct 2026
- Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties in force (India)Checked 19 Oct 2026
- India's export duty (Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and notifications 27/2011, 55/2022, 22/2024)Checked 18 Oct 2026
- India's All Industry Rates of duty drawback (notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.))Checked 19 Oct 2026
- China customs tariff (HS编码网)Checked 19 Oct 2026
For information, not a customs ruling. Only notifications published in the Gazette have legal force; confirm the duty with your customs broker or ICEGATE before you price a deal.