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Subheading · Chapter 85 · Section XVI, Machinery and mechanical appliances

HS 8544 70Optical fibre cables

Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles › Insulated (including enamelled or anodised) wire, cable (including co-axial cable) and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors, optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled with

Customs duty
Free
2 tariff items
GST now
18%
Import policy
Free
Export policy
Free
Unit
metres
Duty in China
0%
On Indian goods
Search codesDuty abroadRates as on 19 Oct 2026

Codes under this subheading

2 codes. Duty and GST are set on the 8-digit tariff items; open the one that describes your goods.

Codes under this code
CodeDescriptionCustoms dutyGST nowUnit
8544 70 10Lead alloy sheathed cables for lighting purposesFree18%metres
8544 70 90OtherFree18%metres

Importing into India

Duty is set on each 8-digit tariff item: open one of the codes above. Basic customs duty across its 2 tariff items: Free. 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: 2 tariff items

GST

IGST on imports is the GST rate. Rates changed on 22 September 2025.

  • Now 18%.
  • Until 21 September 2025 18%.
  • Change: Unchanged.

The rules that set it now

GST rate rules in force
NotificationGoodsRate
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 516Insulated (including enamelled or anodised) wire, cable (including co-axial cable) and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors; optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled with electric conductors or fitted with connectors18%

History

GST rate history
PeriodRateNotification
Until 21 Sep 202518%1/2017-Central Tax (Rate)
From 22 Sep 202518%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)

All Industry Rates of duty drawback under this heading
Drawback itemGoodsRateCap
8544Insulated (including enamelled or anodised) wire, cable (including co- axial cable) and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors; optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled with electric conductors or fitted with connectors——
854401Optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled with electric conductors or fitted with connectors1%—
854499Others1.7%—

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: 2 tariff items

What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 8544 70, and China's below.

China: the same goods (8544 70)

China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 1 in force under 8544 70. Exporters see what China charges Indian goods; importers see the rebate and licences their Chinese supplier deals with.

China's tariff for these goods
China codeGoodsDuty on Indian goodsMFNImport VATExport rebateLicences
8544.70.00.00Optical fibre cables光缆0%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line)0%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

8544.70.00Optical fibre cables, each fibre individually sheathed,

8544.70.00.00Optical fibre cables光缆
Unit
kg / m
MFN import duty
0%
Provisional import duty
None
General import duty
20%
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.Whether each optical fibre is sheathed是否每根光纤被覆
  • 3.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
  • 4.Model型号
  • 5.GTIN
  • 6.CAS
  • 7.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%
Mauritius
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
  • 8544700000999Optical fibre cables光缆

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

Previous8544 60Other electric conductors, for a voltage exceeding 1000 VOne level up8544Insulated (including enamelled or anodised) wire, cable (including co-axial cable) and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors, optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled withNext8545 90Other

Sources

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.