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Seaweeds

Seaweeds and algae fit for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1212 21 10 (Seaweeds, fit for human consumption) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Consignments must be routed through designated food-import entry points per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

What this is
HSN code
1212 21 10
Chapter
12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants
Primary regulator
FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from FSSAI
  • Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
  • Food-import entry point declaration to CBIC
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify these documents before granting out-of-charge; consignments without both uploads will be detained.
    CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
  2. 2
    Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at an undesignated port renders the consignment non-compliant with the food-import entry-point restriction and liable to detention.
    General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022
  3. 3
    Ensure labelling conforms to the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date. Where minor labelling deficiencies exist, rectification by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel in a CBIC-bonded warehouse is permitted before the authorised officer's inspection.
    CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating a labelling deficiency as automatically rectifiable at port without appreciating the scope limitation: only those specific fields enumerated in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — per-serve RDA percentage and date of expiry — qualify for the sticker-rectification dispensation, and only where the correction is made by the manufacturer. A broader labelling non-conformance with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 is not within this dispensation and will attract re-export or confiscation rather than a port-rectification opportunity.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 1212 21 10 require BIS certification?
No, seaweeds 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 FSSAI Import Licence and labelling compliance as the operative requirements at the bill of entry.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
Document code 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence) and document code 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port of import for seaweed consignments?
Only the specific fields listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — per-serve RDA percentage and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be rectified at a CBIC bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, subject to verification by the authorised officer.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plantsHSNLOCUST BEANS, SEAWEEDS AND OTHER ALGAE, SUGAR BEET AND SUGARCANE, FRESH, CHILLED, FROZEN OR DRIED, WHETHER OR NOT GROUND; FRUIT STONES AND KERNELS AND OTHER VEGETABLE PRODUCTS (INCLUDING UNROASTED CHICORY ROOTS OF THE VARIETY CICHORIUM INTYBUS SATIVUM) OF A KIND USED PRIMARILY FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDEDHSNFit for human consumption: