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

Frozen Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tunas

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 45 00 (Frozen 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 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

0303 45 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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food foreign-manufacturer-registration scheme. Imports of fish products from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) 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
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) prior to dispatch, and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) at the same time.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
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. Ensure labelling complies with the rectifiable-labelling regime; missing PGA clearances are not treated as rectifiable defects and will result in detention pending upload of the outstanding document.
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 but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry — the two clearances are independent and customs out-of-charge is withheld until both are verified in e-Sanchit. A second common trap is shipment through a non-designated port: bluefin tuna is classified as a high-risk fish product, and diversion to any port outside the 79-port Annexure renders the entire consignment liable to detention and re-export.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 45 00 require BIS certification?

No, frozen bluefin tunas are 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory before importing frozen bluefin tuna?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish and fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are not eligible for out-of-charge.

Does the rectifiable-labelling regime apply if label information is missing on a frozen tuna consignment?

The rectifiable-labelling regime, governed by FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus, covers certain labelling deficiencies — but a missing FSSAI Import Licence or AQCS Sanitary Import Permit is not a labelling defect and cannot be remedied under that scheme.

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