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Bigeye tunas (Thunnus obesus)

Frozen bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 44 00 (Bigeye tunas, Thunnus obesus) 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 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 44 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 covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and 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 to obtain the AQCS NOC for fish 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; labelling defects are rectifiable but missing PGA clearances will result in consignment 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 arriving at port with a current FSSAI Import Licence while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN has not been generated and uploaded in e-Sanchit — the two clearances are parallel obligations, not sequential ones. A frozen tuna consignment detained pending the AQCS NOC at a designated port accumulates demurrage and ground rent that routinely exceed the value of the cargo within days. Verify both e-Sanchit uploads and the IRN quotation on the bill of entry before vessel departure.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 44 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen bigeye tuna is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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 the 79-designated-port restriction.
Which ports are designated for importing frozen fish under this tariff line?
Import of high-risk fish products is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus, with effect from 1 March 2023, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for bigeye tuna exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every overseas facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are not cleared.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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