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Mulia Charcoal

Logistics · India import

Importing coconut charcoal to India

The India import mechanics for UN 1361 coconut charcoal from Semarang: how it is classified, the import policy, the ASEAN–India origin route, and what your customs broker settles at entry.

Authored by
Andri Dharmawan
Founder & Director
Fact-checked by
Teguh Pranomo
Quality Control Manager
Last updated
Reading time
5 min

This page sits under the Mulia Charcoal Logistics pillar and covers the customs mechanics of importing coconut-shell charcoal into India. Logistics overview

India import at a glance

Classification, the import policy, the origin route, and who clears the cargo.

HS classification
4402.20 "of shell or nut"; the 8-digit line comes from CBIC's Customs Tariff
Headline duty
Not published for this market — your customs broker reads the duty and tax for the declared line at entry
Entry documents
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin — Form AI for a preference claim
Customs clearance
Buyer's licensed customs broker
Import policy (DGFT)
"Free" for every line under 4402.20 — no import licence
Trade term
FOB Tanjung Emas (Semarang) · CIF/CFR on request
Palletized loading speeds forklift handling at both ends of the voyage.

What buyers in this market order

This comes from our own order book — the recurring accounts we ship to in this market. It describes what those buyers reorder, not the full range we produce.

Inner-box finishes run from a matte or gloss coating to lamination, with emboss, UV spot or foil as upgrades.

Across the markets these guides cover, every recurring account takes a printed inner box or inner plastic packed into a master carton, and every account is private label: our briquette, your brand on the box.

Packaging formats and master-carton options Private label and white label

Every one of those accounts reorders. These are repeat programs, not one-off trial containers.

What the markets these guides cover buy is not the whole ladder — every grade we produce is specified on the grades page.

The full grade ladder Indicative FOB price per ton

Order book as of 2026-09-19

Who handles what

Who does what on a container shipment: we export and document; you and your customs broker clear and deliver at destination.

Master cartons consolidate inner boxes for container export and carry UN 1361 marking, net weight and country-of-origin.

The factory handles

  • Production and per-batch quality control, each batch with a Certificate of Analysis
  • Dangerous-goods-compliant packing, UN 1361 marking, and the safety data sheet (SDS)
  • Export documentation — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, dangerous-goods declaration, and the SP 978 weathering report
  • Delivery to Tanjung Emas (Semarang) under FOB, plus booking support

You and your customs broker handle

  • Ocean freight booking under FOB — or we quote CIF/CFR to your port on request
  • Destination customs declaration and clearance
  • Import duty, VAT or equivalent taxes, and destination port charges
  • Indian importer duties — the registrations your customs broker asks for, the import declaration and duty payment, and holding the origin evidence for any preference claim
  • Final inland delivery to your warehouse

HS classification

Coconut-shell charcoal classifies under heading 4402, subheading 4402.20 ("of shell or nut"). India's 8-digit line under it is not stated on this page: we could not read it off CBIC's Customs Tariff, Chapter 44, when the page was built, and your customs broker assigns it from the tariff at entry. If the tariff carries a coconut-shell line limited to a particular use, shisha briquettes go in the residual line under 4402.20, not the use-specific one.

Master cartons are taped shut and labeled with the UN 1361 marking, net weight and country of origin before palletizing or loading.

Candidate codes:

  • 4402.20

    HS6 "Of shell or nut" — the subheading for coconut-shell charcoal. India's 8-digit line under it is read off CBIC's Customs Tariff, Chapter 44, by your customs broker at entry.

    Source (opens in new tab)

Note: Declare HS6 4402.20 uniformly on the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and bill of lading; your customs broker assigns the 8-digit line from CBIC's Customs Tariff at entry. If the tariff carries a coconut-shell line limited to a particular use, shisha briquettes go in the residual line under 4402.20.

Duties & taxes

India's customs duty and import tax are administered by CBIC, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Rates confirmed at entry

We do not publish India's duty or tax figures for coconut-shell charcoal. CBIC's tariff could not be read at the source when this page was built, and we print no rate we have not read there. Your customs broker reads the current rate for the declared 8-digit line at entry, including any preferential rate under the ASEAN–India agreement.

CBIC — the Customs Tariff of India (opens in new tab)

No rate is shown for this market. Confirm every duty and tax line for your declared code with your customs broker at booking.

Indonesia-origin duty preference

India and Indonesia are both parties to the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). India's preferential rate for this line is not shown: we could not read it at the source, so your customs broker confirms whether one applies to the declared line and what it is. A claim rests on the agreement's certificate of origin.

Origin document: ASEAN–India Free Trade Area Preferential Tariff Certificate of Origin (Form AI, a combined declaration and certificate)

Source (opens in new tab)

Landed-cost worked example

Without verified duty and tax figures there is no worked example for India. The landed-cost page carries the same layer model with a calculator that runs on your own freight quote; add the duty and tax your broker confirms for the declared line.

Palletized loads speed container stuffing and protect cartons from floor moisture; loose floor-loading is available to maximize tonnage.

The landed-cost layers and calculator

The entry process

Indian entry for a UN 1361 container is handled by the buyer's licensed customs broker with data we supply. The import policy for the line is settled; the rest your broker confirms against your port and your company's registrations.

A coconut charcoal export moves on a bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and a dangerous-goods declaration.

Step by step:

  1. Import policy. DGFT's ITC(HS) 2022 import policy lists every line under 4402.20 as "Free" (Schedule I, notification No. 54 of 9 February 2022): no import licence or authorisation is needed.
  2. Customs clearance. Your customs broker files the import declaration and handles assessment and duty payment at the port. Confirm with the broker before the first shipment which registrations your company needs, and whether a plant-quarantine release is asked for at your port.
  3. Preference claim. To claim an ASEAN–India preference, the importer presents the agreement's certificate of origin, Form AI. Confirm with your broker whether a preferential rate applies to the declared line, and what origin evidence the importer must hold on file.

The export documents we supply

Dangerous-goods handling at Indian ports

The cargo arrives as declared UN 1361, Class 4.2 dangerous goods, and is handled accordingly at the Indian port of discharge. The classification and the prevention controls are covered on the dangerous-goods pages.

Coconut shell charcoal is UN 1361, Class 4.2; cartons carry the class label and UN number so the shipment clears as correctly declared cargo.

What UN 1361 is The 2026 rules Insured arrival & cargo protection

Import policy and conformity

This is regulatory information, not legal advice — see the disclaimer below.

Import policy (DGFT)
Every line under 4402.20 is "Free" in DGFT's ITC(HS) 2022 import policy (Schedule I, notification No. 54 of 9 February 2022): no import licence or authorisation is needed. Source (opens in new tab)
Product standards
Whether a BIS or other product-conformity requirement applies to coconut-shell charcoal under 4402.20 is UNVERIFIED — confirm with your customs broker before shipping.
Plant quarantine
Not confirmed either way — confirm with your customs broker whether a plant-quarantine release is asked for at your port of entry.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HS code for coconut charcoal in India?
Heading 4402, subheading 4402.20 — "of shell or nut". The 8-digit Indian line comes from CBIC's Customs Tariff, Chapter 44; your customs broker assigns it at entry. If the tariff carries a coconut-shell line limited to a particular use, shisha briquettes go in the residual line under 4402.20, not the use-specific one.
What duty and tax apply to charcoal imported into India?
We do not publish them. CBIC's tariff could not be read at the source when this page was built, and we print no rate we have not read there. Your customs broker reads the current duty and tax for the declared 8-digit line at entry, including any preferential rate under the ASEAN–India agreement.
Does India need an import licence for coconut-shell charcoal?
No. DGFT's ITC(HS) 2022 import policy lists every line under 4402.20 as "Free" (Schedule I, notification No. 54 of 9 February 2022), so no import licence or authorisation is needed.
Can Indonesian charcoal enter India at a preferential rate?
India and Indonesia are both parties to the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement. We have not read India's preferential rate for this line, so it is not shown: your customs broker confirms whether one applies to the declared line. A claim rests on the agreement's certificate of origin, Form AI.

Shipping the same coconut charcoal to more than one country? Duty, tax and clearance differ by destination — here are our other market guides.

All country import guides

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