How much import duty for Chapter 30 “Pharmaceutical Products”? Rates and import regulations for 224 tariff lines

Quick answer: How much duty for Chapter 30?

Chapter 30 “Pharmaceutical Products” has 224 tariff lines; the most common Column 1 rate is 0%.Of these, 218 tariff lines are 0% (97.3%), and the highest ad valorem rate is 20%.223 tariff lines carry an import regulation code; the most common is 522 (79 tariff lines).On import, business tax is also levied on the dutiable value plus customs duty (and commodity tax, tobacco and alcohol tax, etc., where applicable); see the FAQ below for the small-value duty exemption. The actual amount payable is subject to Customs' final determination.

How are tariff rates distributed across Chapter 30's tariff lines?

Calculated from each tariff line's Column 1 rate, 224 tariff lines in total. Source: HowBridge Tariff Database (synced with Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance tariff data), compiled 2026-09-16.

What import regulation codes commonly appear in Chapter 30?

Import regulation codes are marked on the tariff line and indicate inspection, quarantine, permit, or mainland China import controls that may need to be handled before import. A code may apply only to some of the goods under that tariff line — click into the tariff line for the full description. A tariff line with no code means import is permitted and no permit is required from a trade-control standpoint, but this does not mean the goods are exempt from inspection, quarantine, or duty.

522 For importation of controlled drugs (including narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances for human use or … 79 tariff lines
MW0 Importation of Mainland China products is prohibited. 69 tariff lines
802 Importation of medicines for human use is governed by the regulation of"503". 36 tariff lines
503 Importation of drugs (including pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, diagnostics and … 26 tariff lines
406 For importation of veterinary drugs (including raw material pharmaceutical products, pharmaceutical products… 23 tariff lines
504 Importation of medical devices for human use must be handled according to the following regulations: (1) A p… 18 tariff lines

MW0 does not mean nothing can be shipped at all. Under the Ministry of Economic Affairs Announcement Jing-Mao-Zi No. 11104603570 dated August 19, ROC year 111 (2022), mainland China industrial products in tariff Chapters 25 to 97 that are not on the “Table of Import-Restricted Commodities” may be imported without a permit, provided the total CIF value on a single import declaration does not exceed NT$32,000, and each individual item (determined by model — it cannot be split by size, specification, or color) does not exceed 24 pieces (or 40 kg where quantity cannot be counted in pieces), except for items excluded by announcement. This does not mean the goods are duty-free, nor does it exempt them from inspection, quarantine, or other import regulations.

What tariff lines are in Chapter 30?

3001 已乾燥之醫療用腺體和其他器官,不論是否製成粉末;醫療用腺體或其他器官或其分泌物之萃取物;肝素及其鹽類;其他未列名之已調製人類或動物物質,供醫療或預防疾病之用者

3002 人類血液;已調製動物血液供治療、預防疾病或診斷用;抗毒血清、其他血液分離部分及免疫產品等,不論是否經改質或以生物技術方法取得者;疫苗、毒素、微生物培養物(酵母除外)和類似品;細胞培養物,不論是否經改質

3003 醫藥製劑(不包括第3002、3005或3006節所列者),包含兩種或以上之成分業經混合供治療或預防疾病之用,不具有劑量或零售包裝式樣者

3004 醫藥製劑(不包括第3002、3005或3006節所列者),包含經混合或未混合產品供治療或預防疾病用,具有劑量(包括經皮給藥形態者)或零售包裝式樣者

3005 填塞料、紗布、繃帶及其類似品(例如敷料、絆創膏、膏藥),已塗浸藥物或製成零售包裝供內科、外科、牙科或獸醫用者

3006 本章註四所指之醫藥用品

What's the difference between Column 1, Column 2, and Column 3 tariff rates?

General Rule 2 of the Customs Import Tariff divides rates into 3 columns: Column 1 applies to imports from World Trade Organization members or from countries or regions with reciprocal treatment toward Taiwan; Column 2 applies only to “specific” imports in two situations: specific goods from certain least-developed or developing countries or regions, or specific goods from countries or regions that have signed a free trade agreement or economic cooperation agreement with Taiwan; goods that do not qualify for either of the first two columns are subject to Column 3. Where both Column 1 and Column 2 could apply, the lower rate is used. Mainland China is a World Trade Organization member and generally falls under Column 1; Column 2 applies to mainland China only for goods on the ECFA Early Harvest list.

A tariff book and rate table spread open on a desk, with a magnifying glass and a box awaiting customs clearance nearby
A tariff line's rate must be read together with the applicable column and any import regulations.

The chapter and tariff-line pages on this site display Column 1 rates. Column 2 marks eligible countries in the tariff table using country codes, for example “Duty-free (PA,GT,NI,SV,HN,NZ,SG)”; the codes are only labels in the tariff table, and some of the underlying agreements have been suspended or terminated (e.g., Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras) — actual eligibility is subject to Customs Administration announcements. Miscellaneous items in postal parcels have separate rules: when the dutiable value exceeds the duty-free threshold, a 5% rate applies, except for tobacco, alcohol, and goods subject to a tariff rate quota; however, if a single item or items under the same tariff line total more than NT$2,000, they are not treated as miscellaneous items and are instead taxed at each tariff line's own rate (General Rule 5; Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Postal Parcels, Articles 8 and 9). This 5% rule only covers postal parcels and passengers' goods; express shipments are calculated by each tariff line's rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What taxes apply when importing Chapter 30 goods into Taiwan?
There are generally three charges:
  • Customs duty: for ad valorem tariff lines, dutiable value × rate; for specific-duty tariff lines, calculated by quantity or weight (imports from mainland China generally apply Column 1).
  • Business tax: levied on the dutiable value plus customs duty, collected by Customs on the government's behalf (Value-added and Non-value-added Business Tax Act Article 20 and Article 41); goods also subject to commodity tax or tobacco and alcohol tax have those amounts added to the tax base as well.
  • Trade Promotion Service Fee: the statutory cap is 4.25 per 10,000 of the goods' value (Foreign Trade Act Article 21); it is currently charged at 4 per 10,000 of the dutiable value, and waived when the amount payable does not exceed NT$100.
Small-value imports have a separate duty exemption threshold — see the next question.
Is there a duty exemption threshold for small-value imports? How are amounts over the threshold taxed?
Yes. If a single shipment's dutiable value is NT$2,000 or less, it is exempt from customs duty and from the business tax and commodity tax that Customs collects on the government's behalf, except for tobacco, alcohol, and agricultural products subject to a tariff rate quota (Ministry of Finance Announcement Tai-Cai-Guan-Zi No. 1061018778 dated September 7, ROC year 106 (2017); for postal parcels, see also Article 7 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Postal Parcels). Three things to note:
  • If the same taxpayer receives duty-free release more than 6 times within the same half-year period (January–June or July–December), imports after that point in the period are no longer duty-exempt (Ministry of Finance Order Tai-Cai-Guan-Zi No. 1061011007 dated May 26, ROC year 106 (2017)).
  • A single express shipment may not be split and declared separately (Article 14 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Air Express Cargo).
  • When a postal parcel exceeds the threshold, the entire parcel is taxed in full, not just the amount over the threshold (Article 8 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Postal Parcels).
How many of Chapter 30's tariff lines carry a 0% duty rate?
Of this chapter's 224 tariff lines, 218 have a Column 1 rate of 0%, or 97.3%. A 0% rate only means customs duty is zero: business tax generally still applies on import (see the previous question for the small-value exemption), and any import regulations on the tariff line (inspection, quarantine, permit documents) are not waived because of it.
Can Chapter 30 goods be shipped from mainland China to Taiwan?
You need to check line by line. This chapter has 69 tariff lines marked MW0 (import of mainland China goods not permitted), but MW0 does not mean nothing can be shipped at all: under the Ministry of Economic Affairs Announcement Jing-Mao-Zi No. 11104603570 dated August 19, ROC year 111 (2022), mainland China industrial products in tariff Chapters 25 to 97 that are not on the “Table of Import-Restricted Commodities” may be imported without a permit, provided the total CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value on a single import declaration does not exceed NT$32,000, and each individual item (determined by model — it cannot be split by size, specification, or color) does not exceed 24 pieces (or 40 kg where quantity cannot be counted in pieces), except for items excluded by announcement. This does not mean the goods are duty-free, nor does it exempt them from inspection, quarantine, or other import regulations.Another 15 tariff lines carry MP1 (conditional import of mainland China goods permitted), which requires meeting the requirements in the International Trade Administration's Compilation Table of Conditionally Permitted Mainland China Goods and Import Management Regulations.
Within the same chapter, how do I confirm which tariff line my item falls under?
Under the General Rules for the Interpretation of the Customs Import Tariff, section and chapter titles are for reference only — classification is determined by the tariff line description and the section and chapter notes (Rule 1). If the description and notes do not settle it, then unfinished goods and mixtures (Rule 2), the more specific description, essential character, or classification under the last heading in order (Rule 3), and the most akin heading (Rule 4) apply in turn, with containers and packaging governed separately by Rule 5; when narrowing down to an “item” level, Rule 6 compares only items at the same level. If still uncertain, the taxpayer or their agent may apply to Customs for a binding tariff ruling before the goods are imported, and Customs will respond in writing (Customs Act Article 21); when the goods actually arriving match the ruling, Customs must classify them under the ruled tariff line, except where the applicant provided incorrect or false information (Regulations Governing the Advance Ruling on Tariff Classification of Imported Goods, Article 10).

Where does this page's legal basis and data come from?

Usage limitation: The statistics on this page are compiled by the HowBridge Tariff Database for reference only; tariff line classification, applicable rates, and import regulations are subject to announcements from the Customs Administration (Ministry of Finance) and the International Trade Administration (Ministry of Economic Affairs), and to Customs' final determination. This page does not constitute a case-specific tariff classification opinion.

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