Is import duty applicable to knives ?

[TC]

Hi friends,
Though a collector of old and antique blades I do sometimes toy with the idea of getting one or two production pieces shipped from foreign sites such a knifecenter. Will be obliged if our friends from the sharp section of IFG tell me whether paying customs duty is mandatory. If so, is it applicable even to a single piece ? If so, what is the official rate ? Are there any exemptions ?

Asking because Knifecenter has of the option of paying the duty in advance and that works out something around 30 % of the retail value. And after adding shipping cost I don't just feel like clicking on the "checkout" icon

Our friends in the MCMG (we all know what that is ) should be most vocal in this thread I guess.

Cheers

TC

[farook]

A friend of mine got a few of them through check in luggage last week. They did not ask anything at customs. Suggest you email the local customs commissioner

http://www.dutycalculator.com/hs-code-d ... 0000/1965/


http://www.cybex.in/indian-custom-duty/ ... -8211.aspx

[TC]

Hi Farook,
I have traveled far and wide and never had hassles with knives in the bag. What I essentially need to know in short is how is import duty calculated on knives ordered from knifecenter in the US. Do I pay duty while placing order at their rate (which is same for all categories of blades and much more than what the calculator says in your link) or do I wait for Fedex to tell me on arrival ? In that case should the duty for lets say a tiny swiss knife be the same as that for a set of kitchen knives ? Does it depend on quantity, or types or just the price ?
Thanks for the links but I need a reply from someone with firsthand experience.

Cheers

TC

[Ramandeep]

Hi Farook,
I have traveled far and wide and never had hassles with knives in the bag. What I essentially need to know in short is how is import duty calculated on knives ordered from knifecenter in the US. Do I pay duty while placing order at their rate (which is same for all categories of blades and much more than what the calculator says in your link) or do I wait for Fedex to tell me on arrival ? In that case should the duty for lets say a tiny swiss knife be the same as that for a set of kitchen knives ? Does it depend on quantity, or types or just the price ?
Thanks for the links but I need a reply from someone with firsthand experience.

Cheers

TC

Hi TC,
Duty is applicable for the knives but I myself am not clear about what specific percentage of duty is actually levied, I would strongly suggest that do not pre pay your duty as the difference amount in my experience is higher when being charged by the website directly. I have paid duty which varied between 18-24% on CIF and I have no clue what changes the percentage of duty. But recently I have got a folding knife and few switch blades in one package and surprisingly it came duty free. DHL provides delivery service from Knifecenter.com which is very efficient and swift in getting the customs clearance for knives in my experience.

Regards

Raman

[StampMaster]

Sorry if I am hijacking the post...

My question is to Farooq and others.. I have a 2 swords (24 inch overall and 18 inch blade) but designer and non-sharpened show pieces to be brought to India. Is there any restriction/duties etc on these? Thanks

[TC]

Hi TC,
Duty is applicable for the knives but I myself am not clear about what specific percentage of duty is actually levied, I would strongly suggest that do not pre pay your duty as the difference amount in my experience is higher when being charged by the website directly. I have paid duty which varied between 18-24% on CIF and I have no clue what changes the percentage of duty. But recently I have got a folding knife and few switch blades in one package and surprisingly it came duty free. DHL provides delivery service from Knifecenter.com which is very efficient and swift in getting the customs clearance for knives in my experience.

Regards

Raman

Thank you so much Raman. You have helped me a lot.



TC

[james]

I have orderd one cold steel knife and other stuff , knifecentre .com has option of paying advance custom duty and i have opted for same. I am expecting my stuff to reach in two three days , would update accordingly.
Regards,
James..

[abhiram]

What Raman told is my experience as well with Knifecenter

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

[TC]

Thanks James. In that case you paid more money.

Thanks Abhiram

TC

[essdee1972]

Hi Raman & Abhiram, as I understand, on the knifecenter site, you chose the option without paying advance duty, and got the knives delivered duty free?

Cool! And I have been a fool, paying advance duty!!

Now that I remember, 25K INR is the allowed duty free limit for incoming passengers (for stuff which you didn't buy at the airport duty free), are similar rules applied for couriered packages?

[abhiram]

Hi essdee.. no I never got duty free knives. What I meant was when I opted for advance duty, what I ended up paying was more than when I opted for duty on delivery.

Also knifecenter has got iglobal and their own shipment option with pre-duty and duties vary even between those two options.

Regards,

Abhiram

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

[TC]

Hi essdee.. no I never got duty free knives. What I meant was when I opted for advance duty, what I ended up paying was more than when I opted for duty on delivery.

Also knifecenter has got iglobal and their own shipment option with pre-duty and duties vary even between those two options.

Regards,

Abhiram

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

Abhiram, would you please explain this a bit.

TC

[Ramandeep]

Hi Raman & Abhiram, as I understand, on the knifecenter site, you chose the option without paying advance duty, and got the knives delivered duty free?

Cool! And I have been a fool, paying advance duty!!

Now that I remember, 25K INR is the allowed duty free limit for incoming passengers (for stuff which you didn't buy at the airport duty free), are similar rules applied for couriered packages?

Essdee1972,
It has been only in one instance that the goods came duty free and I have no clue why did this happen all I can that in that particular package all the knives were folding knives, I don't know if that has got anything to do with duty application otherwise prior to that I have paid duty on delivery and have found that paying advance duty is much higher atleast 1.5 times more to actual duty.

Regards

Raman

[TC]

Raman,

Thanks for this helpful post. Could you please tell us exactly which folders did that package contain ? Also how was the packet marked when it left the US ?

This will give a good insight into the ways of the customs officers who check packages.

TC

[essdee1972]

Thanks, Raman! I'll order without duty paid in future! How do you pay duty in such cases, anyway? Does DHL pay the duty and then claim it from you at the time of delivery?

A question on bringing knives through personal (checked in) baggage:

The immigration forms and other stuff say that upto 25K INR is allowed through green channel. Now, if I have knives worth, say 10-15K INR, and total imported stuff worth less than 25 K, is it mandatory to go through red channel? The knives will (of course!) adhere to the local knife laws.

However, Indian airports force even green channel passengers to x-ray their stuff. What is the likelihood that the passenger is stopped for carrying knives? And what will be the procedure if he is? All the knives will have the original invoices and will be in original packaging.

Asking this question, as I am trying to get 2-3 knives through a US-based friend. All would be small pocket/neck knives with 3" to 4.5" blades, stuff like BK24 and similar sizes. I don't want to get the guy into any kind of trouble or even a holdup / "flashing lights", as he will be travelling on working visa issued on a letter from his employers, and any enquiry might cost him his job!

Also, are there different yardsticks by which returning Indian citizens and visiting foreign citizens are treated?