Exporting Gems & Jewellery, Auto Parts and Pharmaceuticals to South Korea (2026): Duty, Compliance & Shipping
Three of India's largest export sectors have real Korean demand — but each has its own compliance path. This guide covers the gem/jewellery valuation and security rules, auto-part certification and CEPA duty, and the MFDS approval reality for pharmaceuticals.
Key takeaways
- Jewellery ships as high-value insured air cargo with itemised valuation; Korea charges 8% duty (plus a special excise tax above a threshold) — CEPA can reduce it with a GJEPC/EIA CoO.
- Auto parts enter Korea at 0–8% under CEPA; safety-relevant components need KC/KS certification or must be sold as OEM/aftermarket via a certified Korean importer.
- Finished pharmaceuticals need MFDS product approval held by a Korean licence holder — start with APIs, intermediates and samples for registration.
- All three sectors ship air express DDP door-to-door in 5–8 days; we handle secure handling, cold-chain packaging and documentation.
Quick answer
Gems and jewellery, automotive components and pharmaceuticals can all be exported from India to South Korea, but each follows a different compliance track: security and valuation for jewellery, KC/KS certification for auto parts, and MFDS registration for medicines. Duty is reduced under the India–Korea CEPA with the right Certificate of Origin, and ShipKorea.in ships all three DDP door-to-door in 5–8 days with sector-specific handling.
Gems & jewellery — market and rules
Korea buys Indian silver jewellery (Jaipur, Rajkot), cut and polished diamonds and coloured stones (Surat, Jaipur), gold-plated fashion jewellery and imitation jewellery for Dongdaemun and online sellers. Exporters need IEC, GST/LUT and a GJEPC membership; diamonds require Kimberley Process certificates for rough and clear invoicing for polished. Korean duty: about 8% on jewellery (HS 7113), 8% on imitation jewellery (7117), and 0–5% on loose stones (7103/7104) — many lines improve under CEPA. Korea also levies an Individual Consumption Tax on precious jewellery above a per-piece value threshold, so declare accurately. Ship insured, with itemised valuation and photos, and avoid mixing jewellery with other goods in the same carton.
Auto parts — certification and duty
Korea is home to Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and a vast aftermarket, and it imports Indian castings, forgings, fasteners, filters, rubber components, wiring harness parts and machined components. Under CEPA most auto-component lines (HS 8708, 8409, 8413, 8421, 8511, 8544) enter Korea at 0–8% depending on staging. Safety-relevant parts (brake components, lighting, glass, tyres, child seats) need KC or KS certification, applied for by the Korean importer with your test reports (IATF 16949, ISO/TS documentation helps). Non-safety parts sell freely to OEM tiers and aftermarket distributors. Pack heavy parts in export pallets under 25 kg per carton where possible; oil-coated parts need VCI paper and leak-proof wrapping.
Pharmaceuticals — what is realistic
Finished dosage forms cannot be sold in Korea without MFDS product approval (a lengthy dossier process similar to other developed markets) held by a Korean marketing authorisation holder. Realistic near-term exports are: APIs and intermediates to Korean formulators (Korea imports a large share of its APIs), registration samples for clinical/bioequivalence work, nutraceutical and Ayurvedic products registered as health functional foods or general foods, and surgical consumables under the Medical Devices Act. Every commercial pharma consignment needs a CoA, GMP certificate, MSDS, and — for controlled substances — NDPS/Korean narcotics permits. Cold-chain items ship in validated insulated boxes with gel packs; we prioritise them on the fastest Incheon rotation.
Documents across all three sectors
Commercial invoice with 6-digit HS codes and INCOTERM, packing list, airway bill (issued by us), CEPA Form KIN CoO via the DGFT e-CoO portal (GJEPC-recognised agency/EIA for jewellery, EIA/EEPC for engineering parts, Pharmexcil-recognised agency/EIA for pharma), plus sector documents: Kimberley Process certificate (rough diamonds), valuation certificate (jewellery), test reports and material certificates (auto parts), CoA/GMP/MSDS (pharma). For high-value consignments Indian customs may examine and seal — our team attends.
Duty and VAT in Korea
Korean 10% VAT applies to all three. Duty: jewellery ~8% MFN, stones 0–5%, auto parts 0–8%, APIs and finished medicines typically 0–8% — with CEPA reductions available on most lines when a valid Certificate of Origin is presented. Under DDP we pre-pay duty and VAT so your Korean buyer receives a landed price; see India–Korea CEPA explained.
Shipping methods, security and costs
Air express door-to-door DDP from ₹749/kg (small) to ₹609/kg (21 kg+), 5–8 days. Jewellery ships as declared-value insured cargo with tamper-evident packing and chain-of-custody handover; auto parts over 300 kg move as consolidated air cargo or sea LCL from Chennai/Nhava Sheva to Busan (4–6 weeks); temperature-sensitive pharma moves on priority uplift with insulated packaging. All quotes are written and all-inclusive. See commercial shipping and shipping insurance.
Finding Korean buyers
Jewellery: Seoul Jewelry Fair, Dongdaemun wholesale contacts, Naver Smart Store partners. Auto parts: Korea Auto Industries Coop. Association (KAICA) members, Seoul Motor Show, tier-2 suppliers sourcing castings and forgings. Pharma: KPBMA (Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association) member companies for API supply, CPHI Korea. Send samples first — see sample shipments to Korean buyers — and offer DDP landed prices in KRW.
