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Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0309 90 80

Of molluscs, other

Flours, meals and pellets of molluscs for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 90 80 (Of 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, as a high-risk aquatic food product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0309 90 80
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 the bill of entry is filed; 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) before consignment dispatch and quote its 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. Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
  3. 3
    Ensure the consignment label complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge; labelling defects covered by the rectifiable regime must be remedied prior to clearance, not post-release.
    FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay that must be issued, uploaded, and IRN-quoted on the bill of entry before customs out-of-charge. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC is detained and attracts demurrage and ground rent until the Sanitary Import Permit IRN is resolved; the rectifiable-labelling regime does not cure a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 90 80 require BIS certification?
No, flours, meals and pellets of molluscs 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for this HSN?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish and mollusc products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are liable to detention and re-export.
What happens if the consignment is routed through a port not on the designated 79-port list?
Routing outside the 79 designated food-import ports constitutes a breach of General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and the consignment is liable to detention, confiscation, or compulsory re-export under DGFT and FSSAI enforcement authority.
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: