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Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus orientalis)

Fresh or chilled Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tunas

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 35 00 (Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tunas) 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 35 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 mandatory high-risk-food regime for fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
    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 CBIC 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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 before customs out-of-charge.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which must be issued and uploaded by AQCS — not the importer — before out-of-charge. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained until the Sanitary Import Permit is regularised, accruing demurrage and ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling regime cannot cure.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 35 00 require BIS certification?
No, fresh or chilled bluefin tuna falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers fish or fish products. 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 and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?
Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); out-of-charge will not be granted until all four are verified in e-Sanchit.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI a prerequisite before the purchase order is placed?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the exporting fish-processing facility must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; an unregistered facility cannot be regularised at the port of entry.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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