Pomfret (white or silver or black)

Frozen pomfret (white, silver or black pomfret)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 89 50 (Frozen pomfret) 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 with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0303 89 50

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 regime before the consignment is dispatched. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; bills without the uploaded licence will not receive out-of-charge.
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 a Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) prior to dispatch. 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.
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. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge.
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 treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC — established by quoting the 911DF1 IRN — will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the Sanitary Import Permit is uploaded and verified; the rectifiable-labelling window does not extend to a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 89 50 require BIS certification?

No, frozen pomfret falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime entirely. 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 operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are permitted for import of frozen pomfret under this tariff line?

Import is restricted to the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; consignments routed through any other port are liable to detention and re-export.

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 exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities cannot be granted out-of-charge.

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