Tunas

Prepared or preserved tunas (canned, pouched)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 14 10 (Tunas) 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 fish product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

1604 14 10

Chapter

16 · Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or 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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; label defects classified as rectifiable under FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 must be rectified before out-of-charge is granted.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and arriving at port without a current AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The AQCS NOC is an independent overlay from the food-safety clearance, and a consignment lacking the Sanitary Import Permit IRN in e-Sanchit will be detained at the designated port regardless of FSSAI licence validity — accruing demurrage and ground rent with no expedited remedy short of retrospective AQCS processing.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 14 10 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved tunas fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1). The e-Sanchit IRN for document code 911DF1 must be quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for established exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI — there is no grandfathering exemption for previously approved or long-standing exporters.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.