Budget 2018: Mobile phones to become expensive, as customs duty hiked to 20%

In Budget 2018, finance minister Arun Jaitley announced a hike in customs duty on mobile phones to 20 per cent from 15 per cent.

In a bid to further help domestic smartphone manufacturers, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced a hike in customs duty on mobile phones to 20 per cent from 15 per cent.

In Budget 2018, customs duty on mobile phones was hiked from 15 per cent to 20 per cent to give a boost to India’s smartphone sector. (REUTERS)

“Customs duty on import of mobile phone parts will be increased to 20 per cent from the existing 15 per cent. This will boost jobs in the smartphone sector in India,” Jaitley said during his Union Budget speech.

In December, the government had increased customs duty on various items including mobile phones to 15 per cent from 10 per cent.

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