About Chapter 78
Chapter 78 of the Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) is titled “Lead and articles thereof”. It is part of Section XV, Base Metals & Articles Thereof, together with Chapter 72 (iron and steel), Chapter 73 (articles of iron or steel), Chapter 74 (copper and articles thereof), Chapter 75 (nickel and articles thereof), Chapter 76 (aluminium and articles thereof), Chapter 79 (zinc and articles thereof), Chapter 80 (tin and articles thereof), Chapter 81 (other base metals; cermets; articles thereof), Chapter 82 (tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal) and Chapter 83 (miscellaneous articles of base metal).
The chapter is divided into 4 headings, from 7801 (unwrought lead) to 7806 (other articles of lead).
A sub-heading note defines “refined lead” (sub-heading 7801 10) as metal containing at least 99.9% lead by weight, with a limit on each other element, from silver and copper to zinc.
Every heading is listed below, with its tariff description.
Every code in this chapter begins with 78: four digits make a heading, six a sub-heading, and eight a tariff item of India's Customs Tariff. How many of those digits a GST tax invoice shows depends on the business, not the goods: under Notification No. 78/2020 – Central Tax, from 1 April 2021, four digits where aggregate turnover in the previous financial year was up to ₹5 crore, and six above it. Up to ₹5 crore, the code may be left off invoices to unregistered buyers.
No GST rate is shown here. GST rates were revised in September 2025, and a rate appears on this site only once it has been checked against the CBIC rate notifications.
Sources: ITC(HS) Chapter 78, DGCI&S (title, headings and notes); Notification No. 78/2020 – Central Tax (HSN digits on invoices).