Shark fins

Fresh or chilled shark fins

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 0302 92 00 (Shark fins) is Prohibited under Schedule I of the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) pursuant to DGFT Notification 08/2023 dated 29-05-2023. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) CITES certification, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence, and Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit apply as concurrent regulatory overlays for any permitted carve-out consignment.

What this is

HSN code

0302 92 00

Chapter

03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

WCCB · Wildlife Protection Act (CITES); FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

CITES Certificate from WCCB
Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

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

Compliance steps

1
Note that import of shark fins is Prohibited under Schedule I of the ITC (HS) import policy per DGFT Notification 08/2023 dated 29-05-2023. No consignment may be cleared unless a specific policy-level exemption is in force; any attempted import without such authorisation is liable to confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962.
DGFT Notification 08/2023 dated 29-05-2023 · Schedule I, ITC (HS) Import Policy
2
For any consignment that proceeds under a permitted exemption, upload all mandatory e-Sanchit documents before filing the bill of entry: Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), CITES Certificate (document code 626000), Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001). The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN (document code 911DF1) must also be quoted to obtain the AQCS NOC.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route any permitted consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, applicable from 01-03-2023. Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with FSSAI under the high-risk-food (fish products) regime per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI and AQCS document stack as the operative compliance bar, overlooking that the ITC (HS) Prohibited classification under DGFT Notification 08/2023 is a categorical import bar — not a heightened restriction that can be overcome by assembling PGA clearances. A consignment presented with a full FSSAI and CITES document set but without a standing policy-level exemption will be detained and referred for confiscation; the WCCB CITES overlay adds a separate criminal-liability exposure under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 independent of customs enforcement.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0302 92 00 require BIS certification?

No, shark fins are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade's Prohibited-category ITC (HS) policy under DGFT Notification 08/2023, with concurrent WCCB CITES, FSSAI, and AQCS clearance requirements for any permitted carve-out.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for a shark-fin consignment at the bill of entry?

The mandatory document codes are 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label), 626000 (CITES Certificate), 6360AQ (Health Certificate), 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence), and 911DF1 (AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN), per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Can a CITES permit override the ITC (HS) Prohibited classification for shark fins?

No. The CITES Certificate satisfies the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau overlay but does not lift the ITC (HS) Prohibited status imposed by DGFT Notification 08/2023; a separate DGFT policy-level authorisation is required before customs out-of-charge can be granted.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / WCCB / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.