Other

Frozen molluscs, other than cuttle fish and squid

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 43 90 (Frozen molluscs, other) 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 operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 43 90

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 overseas manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration scheme for fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed; 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
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to consignment dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC. The Health Certificate must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the IRN reference is mandatory 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
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label and ensure compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime; labelling defects that qualify as rectifiable do not suspend the AQCS NOC requirement.
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 document and arriving at a non-designated port. Frozen molluscs fall squarely within the high-risk fish-and-fish-product category; arrival at any port outside the 79-port Annexure triggers consignment detention and accruing demurrage regardless of whether the FSSAI licence and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit are both in order. Verify the designated-port list and confirm foreign-manufacturer registration status with FSSAI before placing the export order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 43 90 require BIS certification?

No, frozen molluscs are not within 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1), issued and uploaded by AQCS, is mandatory; importers must also upload the FSSAI Import Licence and the Specimen Copy of Label, and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI required even for small-volume trial shipments?

Yes. The FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, as enclosed in CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus, applies to all imports of fish and fish products irrespective of shipment volume; there is no de minimis exemption for the foreign-manufacturer registration requirement.

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