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Cowries

Cowries, unworked or simply prepared mollusc shells

WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 0508 00 30 (Cowries) is subject to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) oversight and CITES permit requirements under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The tariff line is governed by ITC (HS) policy condition no. 3 of Chapter 05, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and a CITES certificate and Health Certificate must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.

What this is
HSN code
0508 00 30
Chapter
05 · Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified
Primary regulator
WCCB · Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (CITES permit regime)
Customs documentation
  • CITES certificate from WCCB
  • Health Certificate from AQCS
  • ITC (HS) policy condition from DGFT
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Obtain a valid CITES certificate (document code 626000) for the consignment of cowries before shipment. Upload the certificate in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage; the proper officer will verify its presence before granting out-of-charge.
    ITC (HS) policy condition no. 3 of Chapter 05 · CCR document code 626000
  2. 2
    Upload the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) in e-Sanchit alongside the CITES certificate before filing the bill of entry. Both documents are mandatory for PGA-facilitated bills and must be verified by the proper officer prior to out-of-charge.
    CCR document code 6360AQ · ITC (HS) policy condition no. 3 of Chapter 05
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the CITES certificate as the sole clearance requirement and overlooking the concurrent Health Certificate obligation. A consignment arriving with only one of the two mandatory documents uploaded in e-Sanchit will be detained pending the missing document; detention at port accrues demurrage and ground rent, and no retrospective waiver of the Health Certificate requirement is available at the bill-of-entry stage.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0508 00 30 require BIS certification?
No, cowries and unworked mollusc shells fall entirely outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, with the CITES permit condition and ITC (HS) policy condition no. 3 of Chapter 05 administered by DGFT.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for cowrie imports?
Two documents are mandatory: the CITES certificate under document code 626000 and the Health Certificate under document code 6360AQ; both must be uploaded before the proper officer can grant out-of-charge.
What happens if a cowrie consignment arrives without a CITES certificate?
Absence of the CITES certificate renders the consignment non-compliant with ITC (HS) policy condition no. 3 of Chapter 05, exposing it to detention, seizure, and potential confiscation under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: WCCB / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 05 · Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specifiedHSNCORAL AND SIMILAR MATERIALS, UNWORKED OR SIMPLY PREPARED BUT NOT OTHERWISE WORKED; SHELLS OF MOLLUSCS, CRUSTACEANS OR ECHINODERMS AND CUTTLE-BONE, UNWORKED OR SIMPLY PREPARED BUT NOT CUT TO SHAPE, POWDER AND WASTE THEREOFHSNCoral and similar materials, unworked or simply prepared but not otherwise worked; shells of molluscs, crustaceans or echinoderms and cuttle-bone, unworked or simply prepared but not cut to shape, powder and waste thereof: