Sword fish (Xiphias gladius)

Fresh, chilled or frozen swordfish fillets (Xiphias gladius)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 84 00 (Swordfish fillets and meat, Xiphias gladius) 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 concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0304 84 00

Chapter

03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk fish product 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
Verify that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with FSSAI under the mandatory high-risk-food facility registration scheme before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit and current at the date of bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will be denied 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 Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) prior to dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC; the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm labelling compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable defects in labelling do not qualify for the rectification window and attract consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is presenting a valid FSSAI Import Licence at the bill of entry while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN has not been quoted or uploaded — these are independent clearances and customs out-of-charge requires both. A missing or expired Sanitary Import Permit results in consignment detention and accumulating demurrage at the designated port; the rectifiable-labelling regime applies only to labelling defects, not to the absence of a PGA clearance document.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0304 84 00 require BIS certification?

No, swordfish fillets and fish meat are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. 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 designated for import of swordfish 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 dated 08-02-2023, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention and re-export.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for swordfish exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, any facility outside India manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the consignment is permitted entry.

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