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Indian white shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus)

Flours, meals and pellets of Indian white shrimp

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 90 12 (Indian white shrimp flour, meal and pellet) 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 product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0309 90 12
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 mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to consignment dispatch and upload it in e-Sanchit. Quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN 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. 3
    Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure the specimen copy of the label is compliant with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before customs 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 error most frequently encountered on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance 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 Sanitary Import Permit IRN uploaded in e-Sanchit are detained until the deficiency is cured, attracting demurrage and ground rent that rapidly erode the economics of a perishable product.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 90 12 require BIS certification?
No, flours, meals and pellets of Indian white shrimp 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 operative from 1 March 2023.
Which ports are authorised for import of this high-risk fish product?
Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; diversion to a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory before shipment?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the exporting facility must be registered with FSSAI before the import of fish products — including shrimp flours and meals — is permitted into India.
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 invertebratesHSNFLOURS, MEALS AND PELLETS OF FISH, CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIONHSNOther: