Kuth root
Kuth root, dried or fresh medicinal plant
HSN 1211 90 46 (Kuth root) is subject to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) CITES permit requirements under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which classifies this plant under the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and a valid CITES certificate must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge at customs.
- CITES certificate from WCCB
- ITC (HS) Restricted-import declaration from DGFT
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Obtain a valid CITES certificate covering the Kuth root consignment before shipment. The certificate (document code 626000) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry; customs out-of-charge will not be granted without this upload.Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 · CITES provisions · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 12
- 2Confirm the consignment's ITC (HS) Restricted-import status with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and ensure the import is permitted under the applicable CITES Appendix conditions. Consignments arriving without a current CITES certificate are liable to detention and seizure under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 12 · Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating Kuth root as an ordinary medicinal herb and overlooking the CITES overlay entirely. Kuth root (Saussurea costus) is a CITES-listed species, and an absent or expired CITES certificate at the bill-of-entry stage triggers detention, seizure, and potential criminal liability under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — outcomes that cannot be remedied after the consignment has arrived at port.