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Skipjack tuna (stripe-bellied bonito) (Katsuwonuspelamis)

Fresh or chilled skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 33 00 (Skipjack tuna) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0302 33 00
Chapter
03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates
Primary regulator
FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food regime)
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from FSSAI
  • Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
  • Health Certificate from AQCS
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before dispatch. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
    CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
  2. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry when seeking the AQCS NOC for fish products listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular 24/2022-Cus.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Verify label compliance under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable and results in detention.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as sufficient and overlooking the independently obtained AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The two clearances are separate PGA requirements: a current FSSAI licence does not satisfy the AQCS NOC, and consignments arriving at a designated port without the Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry are detained pending upload — attracting demurrage and ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling pathway cannot cure.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 33 00 require BIS certification?
No, fresh or chilled skipjack tuna falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for skipjack tuna imports?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are not eligible for out-of-charge.
What happens if the consignment arrives at a non-designated port?
Import of high-risk food including fish products through a port not listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure constitutes a General Note 4(D) violation and exposes the consignment to detention, re-export, or confiscation under customs and FSSAI enforcement.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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