Key figures (free to quote)
| Item | Reference figure |
|---|---|
| HS 2804 MFN duty (hydrogen / argon / rare gases) | 5% (INSW · Bea Cukai 2026) |
| ACFTA (FORM E) | 0% |
| PPN (VAT) | 12% (tax base at 11/12) |
| PPh 22 (with / without API) | 2.5% / 7.5% |
| Indonesia 2024 argon imports | ≈ US$17.2M, China roughly half (BPS) |
| Indonesia 2024 rare-gas imports | ≈ US$6.3M (UN Comtrade / WITS) |
Last reviewed 2026-10-16; see sources at the foot of the page. Rates follow the current BTKI / INSW.
The short version
- One heading, one rate. Argon, rare gases and hydrogen all sit under HS 2804 at 5% MFN — zero with FORM E under ACFTA.
- Every gas is Class 2 dangerous goods. Cylinders are pressure vessels and liquid helium moves in ISO tanks; none of this is general cargo. The class is set by the gas itself (flammable / non-flammable / oxidising), not by cylinder size.
- China is Indonesia's top gas source. We can connect you to suppliers and run the Indonesia-side clearance in one pass.
1. Classification: the HS 2804 codes
| HS code | Product | MFN | ACFTA (FORM E) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28041000 | Hydrogen | 5% | 0% |
| 28042100 | Argon | 5% | 0% |
| 28042900 | Rare gases (He, Ne, Kr, Xe, Rn) | 5% | 0% |
| 28043000 | Nitrogen | 5% common* | 0%* |
| 28044000 | Oxygen | 5% common* | 0%* |
* Nitrogen and oxygen share heading 2804, commonly 5% MFN — verify the current 8-digit BTKI line per shipment. Helium, neon, krypton, xenon and radon all fall under 28042900 "other rare gases".
2. Duty and taxes
- BM (import duty) = CIF × 5%; with a FORM E certificate, ACFTA brings it to 0%.
- PPN (VAT) = (CIF + BM) × 12%, on an 11/12 tax base (about 11% effective for non-luxury goods).
- PPh 22 = (CIF + BM) × 2.5% with API, or 7.5% without.
- Three taxes stack on the landed cost; FORM E is the single biggest lever — it wipes the 5% duty to zero.
3. Transport: Class 2 gases and packaging
| Class | Typical gases | Common UN numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 Flammable | Hydrogen, acetylene | Hydrogen 1049, acetylene 1001 |
| 2.2 Non-flammable, non-toxic | He, Ar, Ne, Kr, Xe, N₂ | He 1046, Ar 1006, Ne 1065, Kr 1056, Xe 2036, N₂ 1066 |
| 2.2 + 5.1 Oxidising | Oxygen | Oxygen 1072 |
Packaging drives the operation: 40L/47L/50L cylinders (pressure vessels), dewars (cryogenic liquid) and 40-ft liquid-helium ISO tanks (bulk). Follow the transport classification result — never self-assign UN numbers or packing groups.
4. Regulatory and operational points
- Pressure vessels: cylinders and ISO tanks need a pressure-vessel test certificate plus a dangerous-goods packing certificate.
- B3 control: some flammable or toxic gases fall under Indonesia's hazardous-substance (B3) regime — verify by code and use, not by category guesswork.
- Export-side compliance: certain high-purity rare gases are export-controlled or need approval — confirm the China export side before committing.
- Liquid-helium ISO tanks: tank certificate plus empty-tank return; secure the tank fleet and carrier acceptance first — the lead time is far longer than general cargo.
5. Supplier sourcing: what we can do
- We connect you to mainstream Chinese industrial and rare-gas suppliers: helium, neon, krypton, xenon, argon, hydrogen, plus high-purity gases and standard mixtures.
- We match purity grade (industrial / high-purity / ultra-high-purity) and packaging (cylinders, dewars, liquid-helium ISO tanks); specific suppliers and prices are handled privately, not listed here.
- In the same pass we run the Indonesia-side HS classification, dangerous-goods filing and clearance to the door.
Related pages
This page summarizes field practice and publicly available Indonesian import rules for general business reference only—it is not legal, customs, or pricing advice. Customs provisions, tariff rates and licensing requirements keep changing, so the rules in force at the time and the official processing result always prevail. Wuhan Freedom International Logistics Co., Ltd. · Licensed PPJK in Indonesia · Jakarta / Semarang / Wuhan.