Frozen abalone (Haliotis spp.)

Frozen abalone (Haliotis spp.), frozen molluscs

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 83 00 (Frozen abalone, Haliotis 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, as a high-risk fish and seafood product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 83 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
Confirm that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before the consignment is shipped. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; import from an unregistered facility is not permitted.
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) before dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure. Confirm label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; port diversion or a missing label declaration will result in consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 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 the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. A current FSSAI licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC: consignments arriving at a designated port without the 911DF1 IRN quoted on the bill of entry are detained pending AQCS clearance, and demurrage accrues from the vessel's arrival date. Rectifiable-labelling relief under the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 applies only to labelling defects, not to a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 83 00 require BIS certification?

No, frozen abalone is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers molluscs or seafood. 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 the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen abalone?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, fish and seafood products — including frozen molluscs — must originate from a facility registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted at the Indian port.

What happens if a consignment of frozen abalone arrives at a non-designated port?

Arrival at a port outside the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure constitutes a breach of General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 and subjects the consignment to detention and potential re-export.

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