Customs duty from Australia to India: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), in force since 29 December 2022, gives India preferential access on 70.3% of tariff lines with Australia, covering 90.6% of trade value.
• From 1 January 2026, all Indian exports to Australia became eligible for zero-duty access - the reverse-direction milestone of the same agreement.
• A more comprehensive follow-up agreement, CECA (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement), is under active negotiation and was agreed to be “fast-tracked” at a July 2026 Australia-India Annual Summit.
• The same summit produced a new nuclear cooperation pact enabling Australian uranium supply to India - a genuinely new dimension to this trade relationship.
• This lane is currently heavily coal-dominated, though critical-minerals and uranium trade are emerging as CECA negotiations and the nuclear pact develop.

Australia-India Trade at a Glance

India’s imports from Australia reached roughly $9.1 billion for a partial period through November 2025 in India’s 2026 fiscal year. The relationship is heavily concentrated in coal - both coking coal (used in steelmaking) and thermal coal - alongside mineral fuels more broadly, which together made up the large majority of Australian exports to India by value; copper trade, by contrast, is comparatively minor.

Is There a Trade Deal Between Australia and India?

Yes - the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA, sometimes called AI-ECTA), in force since 29 December 2022, gives India preferential access on 70.3% of tariff lines with Australia, covering 90.6% of trade value. The agreement works in both directions: from 1 January 2026, all Indian exports to Australia became eligible for zero-duty access, the completion of a phase-in that began when ECTA took effect (DD India).

A more comprehensive follow-up, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), is under active negotiation. At a July 2026 Australia-India Annual Summit, both sides agreed to fast-track CECA talks - and the same summit produced a new nuclear cooperation pact enabling Australian uranium supply to India, a genuinely new dimension to the relationship beyond trade in ordinary goods (Clayton Utz). CECA has not yet concluded as of this writing - ECTA remains the operative agreement.

How Much Will You Pay Importing from Australia to India?

For genuinely Australian-originating goods covered by ECTA’s 70.3% of tariff lines, expect a preferential Basic Customs Duty rate relative to standard MFN treatment. For goods outside ECTA’s current coverage, India’s standard stack applies: Basic Customs Duty, a Social Welfare Surcharge equal to 10% of the BCD amount, and Integrated GST at 5-28% depending on category, calculated on the CIF customs value. India has no general duty-free threshold for commercial imports of any value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ECTA the final agreement between Australia and India?

No - ECTA covers 70.3% of tariff lines, and a more comprehensive follow-up agreement, CECA, is under active negotiation, with both sides agreeing to fast-track talks at a July 2026 summit. ECTA remains what’s currently in force.

What is the new nuclear cooperation pact about?

Agreed at the same July 2026 summit as the CECA fast-tracking, it enables Australian uranium supply to India - a new area of the bilateral relationship separate from, though announced alongside, the broader trade agreement talks.

What does Australia mainly export to India?

Coal (both coking and thermal) and mineral fuels dominate by a wide margin, though critical minerals and uranium are emerging as new categories as CECA negotiations and the nuclear pact develop.

Does India get anything in return under ECTA?

Yes - the agreement works in both directions. Since 1 January 2026, all Indian exports to Australia have qualified for zero-duty access, the completion of ECTA’s original phase-in schedule.