How much import duty for Chapter 50 “Silk”? Rates and import regulations for 14 tariff lines
Quick answer: How much duty for Chapter 50?
Chapter 50 “Silk” has 14 tariff lines; the most common Column 1 rate is 10%.Of these, 4 tariff lines are 0% (28.6%), and the highest ad valorem rate is 10%.3 tariff lines carry an import regulation code; the most common is 504 (2 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 50's tariff lines?
- 0% 4
- Over 0% to 5% 3
- Over 5% to 10% 7
- Over 10% 0
- Specific duty or other calculation method 0
Calculated from each tariff line's Column 1 rate, 14 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 50?
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.
504
Importation of medical devices for human use must be handled according to the following regulations: (1) A p…
2 tariff lines
B01
Importation shall be subject to the prescription set forth in the "List of Items Subject to Animal & Plant Q…
1 tariff lines
What tariff lines are in Chapter 50?
5001 適於繅絲之蠶繭
5002 生絲（未加撚者）
5003 廢絲（包括不適於繅絲之蠶繭，廢絲紗及經拉鬆處理之回收絲）
5004 絲紗（廢絲紡成者除外），非供零售用者
- 50040010004Thread for surgical use, not put up for retail sale2.5%
- 50040090007Other silk yarn (other than yarn spun from silk waste), not put up for retail sale0%
5005 廢絲紡成之紗，非供零售用者
5006 絲紗及廢絲紡成之紗，供零售用者；蠶膠絲
- 50060010002Silk yarn and yarn spun from silk waste, put up for retail sale10%
- 50060020000Silk-worm gut, put up for retail sale2.5%
- 50060030008Thread for surgical use, put up for retail sale2.5%
5007 絲或廢絲織成之梭織物
- 50071000109Woven fabrics of noil silk, containing 85% or more by weight of noil silk10%
- 50071000902Other woven fabrics of noil silk10%
- 50072000009Other fabrics, containing 85% or more by weight of silk or of silk waste other than noil silk10%
- 50079000004Other woven fabrics of silk or of silk waste10%
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.
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
- 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.
- 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).
Where does this page's legal basis and data come from?
- Customs Act Article 3: Except as otherwise provided in the Customs Act, the levy of customs duty and the classification of imported and exported goods are governed by the Customs Import Tariff, which is separately enacted and promulgated through the legislative process.
- Customs Import Tariff (last amended, per the National Laws & Regulations Database, on January 28, ROC year 115 (2026)): General Rule 2 on the three rate columns, General Rule 5 on miscellaneous postal items, and Interpretation Rules 1 through 6.
- Customs Act Article 21 and the Regulations Governing the Advance Ruling on Tariff Classification of Imported Goods: applying for a binding tariff ruling before import.
- Value-added and Non-value-added Business Tax Act Article 20: business tax on imported goods is calculated on the dutiable value plus import duty; Article 41: business tax on imported goods is collected by Customs on the government's behalf.
- Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Postal Parcels, Articles 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12: NT$2,000 duty exemption, full taxation when exceeded, the definition of miscellaneous items, combined calculation for parcels from the same sender to the same recipient arriving on the same date, and loss of the exemption after more than 6 uses in a half-year period.
- Ministry of Economic Affairs Announcement Jing-Mao-Zi No. 11104603570 dated August 19, ROC year 111 (2022): rules on permit-free import of small quantities of mainland China goods; Announcement Jing-Mao-Zi No. 111046035701 of the same date: excluded goods items.
- Ministry of Finance Announcement Tai-Cai-Guan-Zi No. 1061018778 dated September 7, ROC year 106 (2017): duty exemption for shipments with a dutiable value of NT$2,000 or less; Ministry of Finance Order Tai-Cai-Guan-Zi No. 1061011007 dated May 26, ROC year 106 (2017): exemption no longer applies after more than 6 duty-free releases in a half-year period.
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance, General Explanation of the Combined Volume of the Republic of China Customs Import Tariff and Classification of Import and Export Commodities, ROC year 112 (2023) edition: 21 sections, 97 chapters (Chapter 77 reserved), Chapter 98 added outside the HS structure, and the 8-digit tariff number plus 10-digit trade management and statistics classification, plus 1 check digit.
- International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Table of Import Regulation Codes: a blank import regulation field means “permitted (no permit required)”.
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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