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Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Jasus spp.)

Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus, Jasus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 91 00 (Rock lobster and other sea crawfish) 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 operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0306 91 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 the purchase order is finalised. Imports of fish and crustacean products from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at 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) before consignment dispatch and quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC. This permit is listed under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and is independent of the FSSAI clearance.
    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 notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 and FSSAI Letter No. 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
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 with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC will be detained at the designated port, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, until the Sanitary Import Permit IRN is uploaded in e-Sanchit. The rectifiable-labelling dispensation under FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 applies only to labelling defects and does not cure a missing AQCS clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0306 91 00 require BIS certification?
No. Rock lobster and sea crawfish 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction.
Which ports are designated for importing rock lobster under this tariff line?
Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus, operative from 1 March 2023, in accordance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for occasional or small-volume shipments of rock lobster?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, registration of the foreign manufacturing facility is mandatory for all fish and crustacean products irrespective of shipment volume, and customs out-of-charge will not be granted without it.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNCRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, LIVE, FRESH, CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINE; SMOKED CRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, WHETHER OR NOT COOKED BEFORE OR DURING THE SMOKING PROCESS; CRUSTACEANS, IN SHELL, COOKED BY STEAMING OR BY BOILING IN WATER, WHETHER OR NOT CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINEHSN0306 11 00 · Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus, Panulirus, Jasus spp.)