Squid tubes

Frozen squid tubes, molluscs

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 43 30 (Squid tubes, frozen) 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 effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 43 30

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. Imports of fish and mollusc 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
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to consignment 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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per 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 defects are addressable but missing PGA clearances are not.
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 treating frozen squid tubes as a general seafood commodity and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit as a separate, independent obligation from the FSSAI Import Licence. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC IRN uploaded in e-Sanchit under document code 911DF1 will be detained — attracting demurrage and ground rent — until the permit is regularised, which cannot be done retrospectively for perishable frozen product.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 43 30 require BIS certification?

No, frozen squid tubes 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 effective 1 March 2023.

Which ports are designated for import of frozen squid tubes?

Imports are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, pursuant to General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; routing to any other port renders the consignment liable to detention and re-export.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for established exporters?

Yes — per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every facility manufacturing fish and mollusc products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI regardless of prior export history, and unregistered-facility consignments are not permitted entry.

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