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Sword fish (Xiphias gladius)

Frozen swordfish (Xiphias gladius)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 57 00 (Frozen swordfish) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 57 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) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
    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 dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC for fish products 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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; labelling defects that are rectifiable do not excuse a missing PGA clearance or a non-designated port of import.
    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 current FSSAI Import Licence while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN has not been quoted on the bill of entry — these are two independent clearances, and absence of the AQCS NOC results in consignment detention at the designated port regardless of FSSAI compliance. Equally, routing a frozen-fish consignment through an undesignated port is treated as a policy violation under General Note 4(D), triggering re-export or confiscation even where all PGA documents are otherwise in order.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 57 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen swordfish falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. 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 a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen swordfish?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are liable to detention and re-export.
What happens if a labelling defect is identified at the port of import?
FSSAI's rectifiable-labelling regime, detailed in FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus, permits correction of specified labelling deficiencies; however, rectifiable-labelling relief does not extend to missing PGA clearances or a port-of-entry violation, both of which result in detention pending resolution.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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