Shark fins

Dried, salted or smoked shark fins

AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 71 00 (Shark fins) is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT); no consignment may be imported into India under this tariff line. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit requirements apply concurrently, but the operative bar is the ITC (HS) Prohibited classification, which admits no licence or NOC pathway.

What this is

HSN code

0305 71 00

Chapter

03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Prohibited import policy, Chapter 03

Customs documentation

Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Do not tender a bill of entry for shark fins under HSN 0305 71 00. The tariff line is classified Prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy; filing a bill of entry for a Prohibited commodity exposes the importer to confiscation of the consignment and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962.
ITC (HS) Prohibited import policy, Chapter 03 (DGFT)
2
Where a legacy or in-transit consignment requires customs examination, the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit. Quote the IRN of that Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · AQCS document code 911DF1

A word of counsel

The single most consequential error on this tariff line is conflating the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit process with a clearance pathway that permits import. The AQCS NOC procedure in Circular 24/2022-Cus is an e-Sanchit upload and IRN-quoting requirement that operates within the broader customs process; it does not override or waive the ITC (HS) Prohibited classification. A consignment tendered for clearance on the strength of an AQCS NOC alone remains subject to confiscation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 71 00 require BIS certification?

No, shark fins are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade's ITC (HS) Prohibited classification, which bars import outright, with Animal Quarantine and Certification Services sanitary clearance applying as a concurrent overlay.

What is the document code for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit and how must it be submitted?

The Sanitary Import Permit carries document code 911DF1 and must be issued and uploaded by AQCS in e-Sanchit; the importer must quote the resulting IRN on the bill of entry, per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022, Annexure A, Sl. No. 3.

Is there any exemption or licence pathway that permits the import of shark fins?

No. The ITC (HS) policy classifies this tariff line as Prohibited with no stated exemption or conditional-import pathway; consignments are liable to confiscation and monetary penalty regardless of any other clearance obtained.

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