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Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Vannamei shrimp flour, meals and pellets for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 90 31 (Vannamei shrimp flour, meals and pellets fit for human consumption) 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 permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0309 90 31
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 high-risk-food regime covering fish and fish products. 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 quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. This applies to 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 only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure the label on the consignment complies with FSSAI rectifiable-labelling requirements 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 most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance gate and arriving at a designated port without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry. The two PGA clearances are independent: an FSSAI-licensed consignment lacking the AQCS NOC is detained at port, accruing demurrage and ground rent, and the AQCS permit cannot be retrospectively uploaded to release a consignment already under examination without a fresh AQCS inspection.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 90 31 require BIS certification?
No, flours, meals and pellets of aquatic invertebrates fit for human consumption fall outside 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for Vannamei shrimp products under this HSN?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility manufacturing fish and fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.
What happens if the consignment arrives at a non-designated port?
Import of high-risk food through a port not listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure is a breach of General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and the consignment is liable to detention, re-export, or confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.
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: