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COPRA

Copra, dried coconut kernel for oil extraction

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 1203 00 00 (Copra) is subject to a Restricted import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 12, Schedule I. The import policy was revised from State Trading Enterprise to Restricted status by DGFT Notification 11/2023 dated 14-06-2023, requiring an import licence before the bill of entry is filed.

What this is
HSN code
1203 00 00
Chapter
12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants
Primary regulator
DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 12
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from DGFT
  • ITC (HS) policy declaration to CBIC
Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Obtain a valid import licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade before shipment, as copra is classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) 2022 import policy. Filing a bill of entry without a current DGFT licence renders the consignment liable to detention and confiscation.
    DGFT Notification 11/2023 dated 14-06-2023 · ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 12, Schedule I
  2. 2
    Upload the DGFT import licence in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage and ensure the ITC (HS) policy declaration reflects the Restricted status. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until the licence is verified against the declared quantity and value.
    ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 12, Schedule I · DGFT Notification 11/2023 dated 14-06-2023
A word of counsel

The revision from State Trading Enterprise to Restricted status under DGFT Notification 11/2023 is the operative trap on this tariff line: importers who contracted on the earlier STE basis may find that the clearance pathway has changed entirely, requiring a DGFT import licence rather than a canalised STE channel. A consignment shipped before the licence is obtained cannot be regularised after arrival without a retrospective DGFT regularisation, and customs detention, demurrage, and ground rent accumulate in the interim.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 1203 00 00 require BIS certification?
No, copra is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the ITC (HS) 2022 Restricted import policy, following the revision from State Trading Enterprise status by DGFT Notification 11/2023 dated 14-06-2023.
What changed when the import policy for copra was revised from STE to Restricted?
Under the State Trading Enterprise regime, import was canalised through designated state agencies; under the Restricted regime operative from 14 June 2023, any importer may apply for a DGFT import licence, but no consignment may arrive without that licence in force.
Can copra be imported freely if the end use is industrial oil extraction rather than food?
No exemption based on end use is provided in the ITC (HS) 2022 policy for this tariff line; the Restricted status applies to all imports of HSN 1203 00 00 regardless of intended use.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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