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Chapter

38 Miscellaneous chemical products

Chapter 38 is a 2-digit product group of the Harmonized System inside Section VI. Open a heading below to narrow down to the 8-digit code that matches your product, then check its GST schedule mapping and CGST/SGST split before you invoice.

27 Headings
108 Subheadings
179 HSN codes
GST slabs mapped in this chapter:
18%28%
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Miscellaneous chemical products - goods classified under HSN Chapter 38
Chapter 38 product group
One level down

Headings in Chapter 38

Each 4-digit heading is a product category. Businesses with turnover up to Rs. 5 crore report this 4-digit level in GSTR-1.

3801Artificial graphite; colloidal or semi-colloidal graphite; preparations based on graphite or other carbon in the form of pastes, blocks, plates or other semi-manufactures 4 codes 3802Activated carbon; activated natural mineral products; animal black, including spent animal black 5 codes 3803Tall oil, whether or not refined 1 codes 3804Residual lyes from the manufacture of wood pulp, whether or not concentrated, desugared or chemically treated, including lignin sulphonates, but excluding tall oil of heading no. 3803 3 codes 3805Gum, wood or sulphate turpentine, other terpenic oils; crude dipentene; sulphite turpentine, other crude para-cymene; pine oil containing alpha-terpineol as the main constituent 7 codes 3806Rosin and resin acids and derivatives thereof; rosin spirit and rosin oils; run gums 6 codes 3807Wood tar; wood tar oils; wood creosote; wood naphtha; vegetable pitch; brewers' pitch and similar preparations based on rosin, resin acids or on vegetable pitch 3 codes 3808Insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, anti-sprouting products, plant growth regulators, disinfectants and the like, put up in forms or packings for retail sale or as preparations or articles 36 codes 3809Finishing agents, dye carriers to accelerate the dyeing, fixing of dyestuffs, other products and preparations, of a kind used in the textile, paper, leather or like industries, n.e.c. or included 13 codes 3810Metal-pickling preparations; fluxes etc for soldering, brazing; welding powders, pastes of metal and other materials; preparations used as cores or coatings for welding electrodes or rods 5 codes 3811Anti-knock preparations, oxidation and gum inhibitors, viscosity improvers, anti-corrosive preparations and the like, for mineral oils (including gasoline) or other liquids used for the same purposes 5 codes 3812Prepared rubber accelerators; compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics, n.e.c. or included; anti-oxidising preparations and other compound stabilisers for rubber or plastics 8 codes 3813Preparations and charges for fire extinguishers; charged fire-extinguishing grenades 1 codes 3814Organic composite solvents and thinners, not elsewhere specified or included; prepared paint or varnish removers 2 codes 3815Reaction initiators, reaction accelerators and catalytic preparations n.e.c. or included 5 codes 3816Refractory cements, mortars, concretes and similar compositions, including dolomite ramming mix, other than products of heading 38.01 1 codes 3817Mixed alkylbenzenes and mixed alkylnaphthalenes, other than those of heading no. 2707 or 2902 3 codes 3818Chemical elements doped for use in electronics, in the form of discs, wafers or similar forms; chemical compounds doped for use in electronics 2 codes 3819Hydraulic brake fluids and other prepared liquids for hydraulic transmission, not containing or containing less than 70% by weight of petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals 2 codes 3820Anti-freezing preparations and prepared de-icing fluids 1 codes 3821Prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro-organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells 1 codes 3822Reagents; diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, whether or not put up in the form of kits, other than those of heading 30.06; certified reference materials 7 codes 3823Industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids; acid oils from refining; industrial fatty alcohols 9 codes 3824Prepared binders for foundry moulds or cores; chemical products and preparations of the chemical or allied industries (including those consisting of mixtures of natural products), not elsewhere specified or included 20 codes 3825Residual products of the chemical or allied industries, not elsewhere specified or included; municipal waste; sewage sludge; other residual products. 9 codes 3826Biodiesel and mixtures thereof; not containing or containing less than 70% by weight of petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals 1 codes 3827Mixtures containing halogenated derivatives of methane, ethane or propane, not elsewhere specified or included 19 codes
Rate disclaimer

GST rates shown here are as published in HSN to GST code and GST rate schedule mapping (as published 30.06.2017) and are reproduced for reference. The GST Council revises rates through notifications, including the slab rationalization effective 22.09.2025 that moved many goods from the 12% and 28% slabs. Always verify the current rate on the CBIC GST rates page or CBIC tax information portal before invoicing or filing. Rates shown exclude any applicable compensation cess. IncorpX provides assistance for GST registration and return filing if you need help.

Chapter 38 questions

What does HSN Chapter 38 cover?

Chapter 38 covers miscellaneous chemical products. It contains 27 headings and 179 8-digit HSN codes.

Can I quote just the chapter number 38 on an invoice?

No. GST reporting needs at least the 4-digit heading (turnover up to Rs. 5 crore) or the 6-digit subheading (above Rs. 5 crore), and customs documents need all 8 digits. Use the chapter only to navigate to the exact code.

What GST rates apply in Chapter 38?

The schedule maps codes in this chapter to 18%, 28% slabs, depending on the exact product. Open a code page for its specific rows and CGST/SGST split, and verify the current rate on the CBIC GST portal before filing.

Do I need GST registration to sell goods from Chapter 38?

GST registration is required once your aggregate turnover crosses the threshold that applies to your state and supply type, or earlier for activities like inter-state supply or selling through e-commerce operators. IncorpX provides assistance for GST registration and can help you check whether the requirement applies to your business.

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Not sure this is the right chapter for your product?

Share what you sell and an IncorpX advisor will help you confirm the correct HSN code and the GST treatment that applies, before you invoice or file. Free, with no obligation. IncorpX provides assistance for GST registration and return filing; applications are always filed in your name with the tax authorities.

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