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Halibut (Rheinhardtius hippoglossoides, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, Hippoglossus stenolepis)

Frozen halibut (Rheinhardtius hippoglossoides, Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 31 00 (Frozen halibut) 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, as a high-risk fish product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 31 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 fish-product regime before shipment. 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) prior to consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the CTIs 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 only 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 FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime under FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
A word of counsel

The most common 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 before customs out-of-charge. A consignment arriving with a current FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC — or routed through a non-designated port — faces detention, accumulating demurrage and ground rent until the missing clearance is obtained or the consignment is re-exported.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 31 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen halibut falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers frozen fish. 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 the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which ports are permitted for import of frozen halibut under this tariff line?
Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; consignments arriving at any other port are liable to detention.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory before shipment?
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; shipments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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