India has preferential trade agreements covering 28 partner countries. If your product and origin qualify, the duty difference is often the entire margin on a deal — and if you don't claim it at filing, it's gone. Check your line in seconds.
FTA Checker
Whether a product from a country qualifies for preferential FTA duty.
How the check works
Every agreement the checker knows
Concession depth varies enormously — some agreements eliminate duty, others shave a few points on limited lines, and several carry negative lists where your product may be excluded. That's exactly what the checker resolves per tariff line.
The delta is the deal
Worked example · per ₹100Here's a real line priced both ways — the identical goods at the MFN rate any importer pays, and at the preferential rate a valid UAE-origin claim unlocks.
A real line — HSN 0804.10.20, India–UAE CEPA, base notification 09/2026-Customs. Two honest caveats:
Of the ₹23.10 gap, ₹22.00 is the genuine BCD-plus-surcharge cut. The remaining ₹1.10 is only IGST landing on a smaller base — and a GST-registered importer reclaims it as input credit anyway.
It applies only with a valid India–UAE CEPA Certificate of Origin and rules-of-origin compliance under CAROTAR 2020. Without the paperwork, the MFN column is what you pay.
A preferential rate is claimed, not granted
Qualifying is only half the work. The goods must originate in the partner country under the agreement's rules of origin — typically a minimum value-addition plus a change in tariff classification; transshipment through a partner does not qualify.
The claim needs a Certificate of Origin issued by the partner country's designated authority, declared on the Bill of Entry at filing. Under CAROTAR 2020, the importer must also hold origin information (Form I) and exercise reasonable care — customs can ask for it and deny the claim if it isn't there.
Exporting instead? The Certificate of Origin issued under these same agreements is what lets your buyer claim the preferential rate on their side of the border.
Frequently asked questions
§Which countries does India have trade agreements with?
17 agreements are in force covering 28 partners, including the UAE (CEPA), Australia (ECTA), Japan and Korea (CEPAs), the 10 ASEAN states (AIFTA), the EFTA states, Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Chile and the SAFTA members.
§What is a Certificate of Origin and who issues it?
The document proving goods originate in the partner country under the agreement's rules. It is issued by that country's designated authority (chambers of commerce or government agencies) per shipment, and must be cited on the Bill of Entry to claim the preferential rate.
§What is CAROTAR 2020?
The Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020. They put the burden on the importer to possess origin information (Form I), exercise reasonable care, and produce it on request — a CoO alone no longer immunises a claim.
§Do FTA rates apply automatically if my goods qualify?
No. Preferential rates must be claimed on the Bill of Entry at filing, with the CoO and the agreement's notification cited. Retrospective claims after clearance are constrained and contested — decide before you file.
§Can buying through a third country keep FTA benefit?
Only origin matters, not the invoicing route. Goods must satisfy the agreement's rules of origin in the partner country; mere transshipment or re-invoicing through a partner does not create origin. Third-party invoicing is permitted under most agreements when the goods themselves originate correctly.
Classification to compliance brief to ICEGATE-ready filings — every free tool above runs on the platform CHAs and importers use end to end.