Clams, clam meat (bivalves-Victorita, spp., Mertrix spp. and Katalysia spp.)

Clams and clam meat (Victorita, Meretrix, Katalysia species)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 39 10 (Clams, clam meat) 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

0307 39 10

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 shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
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) 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 only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure the Specimen Copy of Label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and that labelling complies with the FSSAI 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 common error on this tariff line is securing the FSSAI Import Licence while allowing the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit to lag behind. The two clearances are independent obligations — a consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted in e-Sanchit will be detained, accruing demurrage, until the permit is uploaded and the NOC is issued. The rectifiable-labelling route addresses labelling defects only and cannot substitute for a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 39 10 require BIS certification?

No, clams and clam meat fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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 requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction.

Which ports are designated for the import of clams and clam meat 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 compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for clam-product exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing clams or clam meat for export to India must be registered with FSSAI; consignments from unregistered facilities are refused entry.

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