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Of crustaceans, other

Flours, meals and pellets of crustaceans for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 90 40 (Of crustaceans, 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, as a high-risk fish and crustacean product. 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
0309 90 40
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 before shipment. Crustacean flour and meal products from unregistered facilities are not admissible, and 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The consignment falls within 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. 3
    Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and ensure all labelling complies with the rectifiable-labelling regime. Labelling deficiencies must be rectified within the window prescribed by FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022; a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable under that regime.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the FSSAI Import Licence with the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit — they are independent clearances issued by separate authorities, and customs out-of-charge requires both IRNs uploaded in e-Sanchit. Consignments of crustacean flour arriving at a non-designated port face detention and potential re-export irrespective of whether all PGA documents are in order; the port restriction under General Note 4(D) is a pre-condition, not a defect that labelling rectification can cure.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 90 40 require BIS certification?
No, flours and meals of crustaceans fit for human consumption 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 requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction.
Which document code must be quoted in e-Sanchit for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit?
Document code 911DF1 is the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit code; the importer must quote the IRN generated in e-Sanchit for this document on the bill of entry to obtain the NOC, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for crustacean flour exported to India?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, manufacturing facilities exporting fish and crustacean products — including flours, meals and pellets fit for human consumption — must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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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: