Norway under India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)

Key Exemptions and Conditions

The notification provides exemptions on imported goods from Norway for the following duties and cesses:

1.    Basic Customs Duty (BCD): Exemption from the duty of customs leviable in excess of the rate specified in Column (4) of the appended TABLE.

2.    Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC): Exemption from AIDC leviable under the Finance Act, 2021, in excess of the rate specified in Column (5) of the TABLE.

3.    Health Cess: Exemption from Health Cess leviable under the Finance Act, 2020, in excess of the rate specified in Column (6) of the TABLE.

The primary condition for availing this exemption is that the importer must prove to the satisfaction of the Deputy or Assistant Commissioner of Customs that the goods are of the origin of Norway, in terms of the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020.

Scope of Goods (Tariff Items)

The TABLE appended to the notification lists a wide range of goods (over 10,000 line items) across numerous Tariff Items, detailing their respective reduced duty rates.

Based on the initial tariff items in the table, the exempted or concessional duty goods span categories like:

·         Live Animals and Animal Products (Chapter 01, 03, 05): This includes goods such as horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, fish (live, fresh, frozen), fish fillets, flours, meals, pellets, and other aquatic invertebrates.

o    For many items in these chapters, the BCD rate ranges from 0.00% to 28.50%, with rates often at 24.00% or 27.00%.

For a substantial number of items, the AIDC rate and Health Cess rate are specified as 0.00%. The Basic Customs Duty (BCD) is the duty most frequently subjected to a reduced rate.

 

[Notification No. 42/2025-Customs dated 30 September, 2025]

G.S.R..…(E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts goods of the description as specified in column (3) of the TABLE appended below and falling under the Tariff item of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) as specified in the corresponding entries in column (2) of the said TABLE, -

(i)    from so much of the duty of customs leviable thereon, as is in excess of the amount calculated at the rate specified in the corresponding entries in column (4) of the said TABLE;

(ii)   from so much of the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) leviable under section 124 of the Finance Act, 2021 (13 of 2021), as is in excess of the amount calculated at the rate specified in the corresponding entries in column (5) of the said TABLE;

(iii) from so much of the Health Cess leviable under section 141 of the Finance Act, 2020 (12 of 2020), as is in excess of the amount calculated at the rate specified in the corresponding entries in column (6) of the said TABLE,

when imported into Republic of India from Norway:

Provided that the exemption shall be available only if importer proves to the satisfaction of the Deputy Commissioner of Customs or Assistant Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, that the goods in respect of which the benefit of this exemption is claimed are of the origin of Norway, in terms of the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 and rules as may be notified in this regard by the Central Government by publication in the official Gazette.

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