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Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

Fresh or chilled cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 46 00 (Cobia) 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 as a concurrent overlay, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0302 46 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 shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
    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 to secure the AQCS NOC for CTIs 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 through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS). Labelling defects that are rectifiable must be addressed per FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
    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 common error on this tariff line is presenting a valid FSSAI Import Licence while lacking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit — the two clearances are independent, and customs out-of-charge requires both IRNs to be verified in e-Sanchit. A consignment diverted to a non-designated port is detained regardless of whether all four documents are otherwise in order, because the 79-port restriction is a condition of the import permission itself, not a procedural formality that can be remedied after arrival.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 46 00 require BIS certification?
No, fresh or chilled cobia 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and a restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.
Which four documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge for this HSN?
The mandatory uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), per the PGA-facilitated-bills verification requirement in the CCR.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for cobia imports?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the exporting facility must appear on the FSSAI-registered list for fish and fish products before the import is permitted.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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