Soda ash HS code and HSN code with GST rate, plus sodium bicarbonate
Soda ash is HS 2836.20: in India, HSN 2836 20 10 for dense and 2836 20 20 for light soda ash. Sodium bicarbonate is HS 2836.30 (HSN 2836 30 00) for the food, feed and industrial grades. India charges 18% IGST on imports of both. This page explains what each code covers, lists the basic customs duty in our key markets, and sets out what to confirm with your customs broker before you order.
Two six-digit codes, five grades.
Both codes sit under HS heading 28.36 (carbonates). The descriptions below are the international six-digit texts of the Harmonized System.
| HS code | HS description | Our grades |
|---|---|---|
| 2836.20 | Disodium carbonateSoda ash, sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, CAS 497-19-8 | dense soda ash and light soda ash |
| 2836.30 | Sodium hydrogencarbonate (sodium bicarbonate)NaHCO₃, CAS 144-55-8 | food grade sodium bicarbonate, feed grade sodium bicarbonate and industrial grade sodium bicarbonate |
Neither code separates grades. Dense and light soda ash share 2836.20; food, feed and industrial sodium bicarbonate share 2836.30. Most countries add national digits after the six-digit code, so confirm the full national tariff line and its description with your customs broker.
India: HSN codes for soda ash and sodium bicarbonate
India splits 2836.20 into three 8-digit HSN lines, one each for dense and light soda ash and one for other disodium carbonate. Sodium bicarbonate has a single line, 2836 30 00, for every grade. Quote the line that matches your grade on the bill of entry.
| HSN code (India) | Tariff description | Our grade |
|---|---|---|
| 2836 20 10 | Disodium carbonate, dense | Dense soda ash |
| 2836 20 20 | Disodium carbonate, light | Light soda ash |
| 2836 20 90 | Disodium carbonate, other | — |
| 2836 30 00 | Sodium hydrogencarbonate (sodium bicarbonate) | food grade sodium bicarbonate, feed grade sodium bicarbonate and industrial grade sodium bicarbonate |
Sources: the three soda ash lines (2836 20 10, 2836 20 20 and 2836 20 90) are those named in DGFT Notification 23/2025-26 of 30 June 2025 (copy); the descriptions follow the Indian Customs Tariff as listed by eximguru. Checked 11 October 2026. The sodium bicarbonate line, 2836 30 00, is from the same eximguru tariff listing (2836 30 00), checked 17 October 2026.
GST: 18% IGST on imports of both soda ash (2836 20) and sodium bicarbonate (2836 30 00), or 9% CGST plus 9% SGST on a sale within one state. Both fall under chapter 28, “All inorganic chemicals”, in Schedule II (S. No. 35) of Notification 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate) and 9/2025-Central Tax (Rate) of 17 September 2025, in force from 22 September 2025 (CBIC). On imports, IGST is charged in addition to basic customs duty. Checked 25 October 2026.
Imports under these lines: In 2025 India imported about 1,046,500 t of soda ash (HS 2836.20); main suppliers by tonnage: USA 38% · Türkiye 26% · UAE 11%. It imported about 42,500 t of sodium bicarbonate (HS 2836.30): China 57% · Thailand 22% · Bulgaria 5%. UN Comtrade estimated part of the sodium bicarbonate tonnage from the declared customs values. Source: UN Comtrade, imports reported by India, retrieved 2 November 2026. Import data by country.
Basic customs duty in our key markets.
Each rate is the basic or most-favoured-nation (MFN) customs duty that the importing country reported to the World Bank's WITS database. It is not the full import cost: VAT or GST, surcharges and any trade-remedy duty come on top. Rates change, so check the current national tariff before you price a shipment. Checked 11 October 2026.
| Market | HS 2836.20 (soda ash) | HS 2836.30 (sodium bicarbonate) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 2%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | 5%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | ACFTA preferential rate for China origin: 0% on both codes (WITS, 2021), with a Form E certificate of origin. Other import taxes apply. Both codes are in chapter 28, so each import also needs an import chemical declaration before clearance (Decree 26/2026/ND-CP); see the Vietnam page. |
| Indonesia | 0%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | 0%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | — |
| Bangladesh | 5%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | 10%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | — |
| India | 7.5%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | 7.5%Basic/MFN customs duty (WITS, 2023). Other import taxes apply. | See the trade-policy status for soda ash below. |
Source: World Bank WITS tariff data as reported by each country (MFN rates for 2023; Vietnam's ACFTA preferential rate for 2021). The table covers our key markets. Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Kazakhstan show their basic customs duty, with its source, on their country pages. For Egypt and other destinations, ask your broker for the current rate.
Japan and South Korea: national tariff rates
Read from each country's own 2026 tariff schedule rather than WITS. Basic or MFN rates, with the preferential rate under a certificate of origin in the notes (RCEP for Japan, the Korea–China FTA for South Korea); we provide both certificates. Other import taxes, such as consumption tax or VAT, come on top. Checked 25 October 2026.
| Market | HS 2836.20 (soda ash) | HS 2836.30 (sodium bicarbonate) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1.68 yen/kg or 5.5%General rate 1.68 yen/kg or WTO rate 5.5%, whichever is lower (Japan Customs, 2026). With an RCEP certificate of origin: 2.5% or 0.76 yen/kg, whichever is lower. Other import taxes apply. | 3.9%WTO rate; the general rate is 4.6% (Japan Customs, 2026). Free with an RCEP certificate of origin. Other import taxes apply. | Japan's tariff has its own line for soda ash under 2836.20. Ask your customs broker how the specific and the ad valorem rate compare for your shipment. |
| South Korea | 3%Basic rate (KCS UNIPASS, 2026). 0% with a Korea–China FTA certificate of origin. Other import taxes apply. | 5.5%WTO concession rate, applied in place of the 8% basic rate (KCS UNIPASS, 2026). 0% with a Korea–China FTA certificate of origin. Other import taxes apply. | One 10-digit line per product: HSK 2836.20-0000 and 2836.30-0000. No anti-dumping duty is listed on either. |
Sources: Japan Customs, Japan's Tariff Schedule as of 1 April 2026, chapter 28; Korea Customs Service UNIPASS 2026 tariff. Japan changes its rates each April and Korea each January. The Japan and South Korea pages set out what the importer handles in each country.
Trade-policy status for soda ash in India.
India's rules on soda ash imports are under review. This is a dated summary of public notices, not legal advice; confirm the position with your customs house agent (CHA) before you fix a shipment schedule.
India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated a safeguard investigation into soda ash imports from all countries on 16 March 2026 (case QR/OI/001/2026), on an application by the Alkali Manufacturers Association of India that asks for quantitative restrictions on imports for four years. DGTR scheduled the oral hearing for 29 July 2026. The final determination is expected around 16 November 2026 (US International Trade Administration estimate); by the check date DGTR had published no findings and DGFT had notified no safeguard measure on soda ash.
Chinese soda ash is outside it: the five-year duty recommended on 29 September 2025 names Türkiye, Russia, the USA and Iran. Whether the Ministry of Finance has imposed it is unconfirmed.
Ran until 31 December 2025 under the last DGFT extension (23/2025-26); none has been published since.
As of 27 October 2026 no QCO covers soda ash or sodium bicarbonate, so no BIS (ISI) mark is needed; IS 251 is a voluntary standard.
Sources: DGTR safeguard case page, trade.gov notice, DGTR final findings, 29 Sep 2025, DGTR anti-dumping case page, DGFT Notification 23/2025-26, DGFT notification list, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals: QCO notifications. See also our India page.
What to confirm with your customs broker.
The full code your customs uses for your grade, and its description.
VAT or GST, surcharges and any trade-remedy duty on top of the basic customs duty.
Whether your country grants a preference on 2836.20 or 2836.30 for China origin, and which certificate of origin it needs. We arrange a preferential form only where a preference applies.
Any product registration your food authority requires sits with your importer of record. We request the producing plant's authorization letter on a confirmed order.
The order process step by step is in our import guide. Specifications, packing and documents for each grade are on the product pages.
Common questions on HS codes.
What is the HS code for soda ash?
HS 2836.20, disodium carbonate. It covers both dense and light soda ash. Many countries add national digits after the six-digit code, so confirm the full tariff line with your customs broker.
What is the HS code for sodium bicarbonate?
HS 2836.30, sodium hydrogencarbonate (sodium bicarbonate). Food, feed and industrial grades share this six-digit code; the grade is shown by the specification, the COA and the bag marking, not by the HS code.
What is the HS code for dense soda ash and for light soda ash?
Both are HS 2836.20 at six digits. Some national tariffs add separate lines below it: India uses HSN 2836 20 10 for dense and 2836 20 20 for light soda ash. Ask your broker which national line applies to your grade.
What is the HS code for sodium carbonate?
HS 2836.20. Sodium carbonate (disodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, CAS 497-19-8) is soda ash, so the code is the same for dense and light grades. In India the 8-digit HSN lines are 2836 20 10 (dense), 2836 20 20 (light) and 2836 20 90 (other).
What is the HSN code for soda ash in India?
Soda ash falls under HS 2836.20. India's tariff splits it into three 8-digit HSN lines: 2836 20 10 (disodium carbonate, dense), 2836 20 20 (disodium carbonate, light) and 2836 20 90 (other). These are the three lines named in DGFT's minimum-import-price notification for soda ash. Confirm the line for your grade with your customs house agent (CHA) before you file the bill of entry.
What is the HSN code for sodium bicarbonate in India?
2836 30 00, sodium hydrogencarbonate (sodium bicarbonate). India has a single 8-digit line under HS 2836.30, so food, feed and industrial grades share it; the grade is shown by the specification and the COA. Confirm the line with your customs house agent (CHA) before you file the bill of entry.
What is the GST rate on soda ash and sodium bicarbonate in India?
18% IGST on imports of soda ash (HSN 2836 20) and sodium bicarbonate (HSN 2836 30 00); a sale within one state is 9% CGST plus 9% SGST. Both come under the chapter 28 entry "All inorganic chemicals" (Schedule II, S. No. 35) of Notification 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate) and 9/2025-Central Tax (Rate), in force from 22 September 2025. On imports, IGST is charged in addition to basic customs duty; confirm the landed cost with your customs house agent (CHA).
Is the duty in the table the full import cost?
No. The table shows basic or most-favoured-nation customs duty only. Other import taxes, such as VAT or GST and surcharges, apply in every market, and a trade-remedy duty may apply too. Ask your broker for the landed cost before you place an order.
Send the grade, quantity and discharge port.
We reply with a written quote within 24 hours (GMT+8, Mon–Sat). Quotes are FOB Tianjin; CIF or CFR on request. MOQ 1 × 20′ FCL; one container may mix grades.