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Lobsters (Homarus spp.)

Live, fresh, chilled or frozen lobsters (Homarus spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 32 00 (Lobsters, Homarus spp.) 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
0306 32 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 mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
    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) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the 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.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; rectifiable labelling defects are addressed under FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022, but a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable.
    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 dispatching without an AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The AQCS clearance is an independent animal-origin overlay: a consignment carrying a current FSSAI licence but lacking the AQCS NOC — evidenced by the e-Sanchit IRN for document code 911DF1 — will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the deficiency is resolved or the consignment is re-exported.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0306 32 00 require BIS certification?
No, lobsters (Homarus spp.) fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers crustaceans. 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.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for lobster imports?
Yes. Under CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas processing or holding facility exporting fish and crustacean products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted.
What happens if the consignment arrives at a port not on the 79-port designated list?
The consignment will be refused out-of-charge clearance, as high-risk food imports including crustaceans are permitted only through the designated ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; diversion to an undesignated port attracts detention and potential re-export or confiscation.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
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