HSN chapter guide
Chapter 28 — Inorganic chemicals
334 eight-digit tariff lines. Rates below are from the Indian Customs Tariff First Schedule. Use the AI HSN classifier if you only have a product description. Reviewed by the CustomsAI compliance desk · 24 August 2026.
Chapter notes
- Except where the context otherwise requires, the headings of this Chapter apply only to: (a) Separate chemical elements and separate chemically defined compounds, whether or not containing impurities; (b) The products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in water; (c) The products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in other solvents provided that the solution constitutes a normal and necessary method of putting up these products adopted solely for reasons of safety or for transport and that the solvent does not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use; (d) The products mentioned in (a), (b) or (c) above with an added stabiliser (including an anti-caking agent) necessary for their preservation or transport; (e) The products mentioned in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above with an added anti-dusting agent or a colouring substance added to facilitate their identification or for safety reasons, provided that the additions do not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use.
- In addition to dithionites, sulphoxylates, carbonates, cyanides, fulminates, cyanates, thiocyanates and the organic products of headings 28.43 to 28.46 and 28.52 and carbides, only the following compounds of carbon are to be classified in this Chapter: (a) Oxides of carbon, hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen acids (heading 28.11); (b) Halide oxides of carbon (heading 28.12); (c) Carbon disulphide (heading 28.13); (d) Thiocarbonates, selenocarbonates, tellurocarbonates, complex cyanates of inorganic bases (heading 28.42); (e) Hydrogen peroxide solidified with urea, carbon oxysulphide, thiocarbonyl halides, cyanogen, cyanogen halides and cyanamide and its metal derivatives (heading 28.53). All other carbon compounds are excluded from Chapter 28.
- Subject to the provisions of Note 1 to Section VI, this Chapter does not cover: (a) Sodium chloride or magnesium oxide, whether or not pure, or other products of Section V; (b) Organo-inorganic compounds other than those mentioned in Note 2 above; (c) Products mentioned in Note 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Chapter 31; (d) Inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores (heading 32.06); glass frit and other glass in the form of powder, granules or flakes (heading 32.07); (e) Artificial graphite (heading 38.01); products put up as charges for fire-extinguishers (heading 38.13); ink removers put up in packings for retail sale (heading 38.24); cultured crystals of halides of alkali or alkaline-earth metals weighing not less than 2.5 g each (heading 38.24); (f) Precious or semi-precious stones (headings 71.02 to 71.05), or precious metals or alloys (Chapter 71); (g) Metals, metal alloys or cermets, including sintered metal carbides (Section XV); (h) Optical elements of the halides of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals (heading 90.01).
- Heading 28.53 includes copper phosphide (phosphor copper) containing more than 15% by weight of phosphorus.
Sample 8-digit lines
| HSN | Description | BCD |
|---|---|---|
| 2801 10 00 | Chlorine | 5% |
| 2801 20 00 | Iodine | 2.5% |
| 2801 30 10 | Fluorine | 5% |
| 2801 30 20 | Bromine | 5% |
| 2802 00 10 | Sublimed sulphur | 5% |
| 2802 00 20 | Precipitated sulphur | 5% |
| 2802 00 30 | Colloidal sulphur | 5% |
| 2803 00 10 | Carbon blacks | 7.5% |
| 2803 00 20 | Acetylene black | 5% |
| 2803 00 90 | Other | 5% |
| 2804 10 00 | Hydrogen | 5% |
| 2804 21 00 | Argon | 5% |
| 2804 29 10 | Helium | 5% |
| 2804 29 90 | Other | 5% |
| 2804 30 00 | Nitrogen | 5% |
| 2804 40 10 | Medicinal grade | 5% |
| 2804 40 90 | Other | 5% |
| 2804 50 10 | Boron | 5% |
| 2804 50 20 | Tellurium | 0% |
| 2804 61 00 | Containing by weight not less than 99.99% of silicon | 0% |
| 2804 69 00 | Other | 0% |
| 2804 70 10 | Phosphorus, black | 5% |
| 2804 70 20 | Phosphorus, red | 5% |
| 2804 70 30 | Phosphorus, white or yellow | 5% |
| 2804 80 00 | Arsenic | 5% |
| 2804 90 00 | Selenium | 0% |
| 2805 11 00 | Sodium | 0% |
| 2805 12 00 | Calcium | 0% |
| 2805 19 00 | Other | 0% |
| 2805 30 00 | Rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed | 0% |
| 2805 40 00 | Mercury | 5% |
| 2806 10 00 | Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid) | 7.5% |
| 2806 20 00 | Chlorosulphuric acid | 7.5% |
| 2807 00 10 | Sulphuric acid | 7.5% |
| 2807 00 20 | Oleum | 7.5% |
| 2808 00 10 | Nitric acid | 7.5% |
| 2808 00 20 | Sulphonitric acids | 7.5% |
| 2809 10 00 | Diphosphorus pentaoxide | 7.5% |
| 2809 20 10 | Phosphoric acid | 5% |
| 2809 20 20 | Polyphosphoric acids | 7.5% |