All 8-Digit Codes Under HSN 2501
Classify the goods at eight digits before you quote a rate: the duty, the export policy and the RoDTEP rate are fixed line by line. Heading text: Salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added anti-caking or free flowing agents; sea water.
| Tariff item | Description | Basic customs duty | Export policy | RoDTEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2501 00 10 | Common salt (including iodised salt)Salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added… | 5% | Free | — |
| 2501 00 20 | Rock saltSalt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added… | 5% | Free | — |
| 2501 00 90 | OtherSalt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added… | 5% | Free | — |
Basic customs duty is the standard rate in the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act. An exemption notification or a trade agreement can lower the duty actually payable. RoDTEP is a percentage of FOB value for exports from the domestic tariff area.
GST Rate on HSN 2501
GST on goods is fixed by the entries of Notification No. 9/2025-Central Tax (Rate), in force from 22 September 2025 and amended up to 30 April 2026. The rate shown is the total: half is central tax and half is State tax on a sale within a State, and the whole is charged as IGST on an inter-State sale or an import. Read the description in the entry, not only the code: the same heading can sit in two Schedules.
| GST rate | Entry | Codes named | Goods covered by the entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18% | Schedule II, S. No. 639 | Any Chapter | Goods which are not specified in Schedule I, III, IV, V, VI or VII (residual entry) |
Goods of this heading that fall under no specific entry take the residual entry, unless they are exempt under the exemption notification issued with the rate notification.
Customs Duty on HSN 2501
An import pays three things: basic customs duty at the tariff rate, social welfare surcharge at 10% of that duty (unless exempted for the goods), and IGST at the GST rate on the value plus both duties. A registered importer takes credit of the IGST.
- Basic customs duty at
- Social welfare surcharge, 10% of the duty
- IGST at on value plus both
- Total duty and tax
- As a share of the value
Standard rates only: no exemption notification, anti-dumping or safeguard duty, or trade-agreement rate is applied, and the surcharge is taken at 10% although some goods are exempted from it. A registered importer takes credit of the IGST.
Three conditions at the port for food items
FSS Act compliance before clearance
Import of edible products is allowed only if the consignment meets the quality and packaging requirements of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Customs clears it after that is ensured.
Shelf life on the day of import
The product must have at least 60% of its original shelf life left, or three months before expiry, whichever is less, worked out from the dates on the label.
Notified food entry points only
Codes of this heading are in List B of Appendix V, so the goods can enter only through the ports, airports, land stations and ICDs in List A.
Export Policy and RoDTEP for HSN 2501
Under Schedule 2 of ITC(HS) 2022 the 3 tariff items are marked: 3 Free. “Free” means no export authorisation is needed; a Restricted item needs one from DGFT, and an STE item moves only through the named State trading enterprise.
No tariff item of this heading appears in Appendix 4R, so RoDTEP is not available on these exports.
- The item-wise import policy (Free, Restricted or Prohibited) of ITC(HS) Schedule 1. The food-import conditions above come from its General Notes.
- Exemption notifications, anti-dumping and safeguard duties, and preferential rates under trade agreements. The duty shown is the tariff rate.
- The GST exemption notification. Goods exempt under it pay no GST even if the heading is named in a rate entry.
Official documents behind this page
- Notification No. 9/2025-Central Tax (Rate), 17 September 2025GST rate Schedules I to VI, in force from 22 September 2025, as amended by Notification No. 19/2025-Central Tax (Rate) of 31 December 2025 (Schedule VII omitted from 1 February 2026) and No. 01/2026 of 30 April 2026.
- Customs Tariff, First ScheduleCBIC Customs Tariff as on 30 June 2024, with the First Schedule amendments of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024, the Finance Act, 2025 and the Finance Act, 2026 applied.
- ITC(HS) 2022, Schedule 2, Export PolicyDGFT: the export policy and policy condition of each tariff item.
- Appendix 4R and Appendix 4RE, RoDTEP ScheduleDGFT, with effect from 10 October 2024 (Notification No. 32/2024-25); the 2026 changes are in Notifications 60, 66 and 74 of 2025-26 and 41 of 2026-27.
- ITC(HS) 2022, Schedule 1, General Notes regarding Import PolicyDGFT, as on 11 August 2025: General Note 4 and Appendix V (food import entry points).
Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on the law and notifications in force when it was last updated. It is not professional advice for your case — rates, thresholds and due dates change, so check the current position or speak to our CA team before you act on it.