Shark fins

Prepared or preserved shark fins

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 18 00 (Shark fins) 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 import is otherwise Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with consignments restricted to 79 designated food-import ports.

What this is

HSN code

1604 18 00

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 for fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before 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 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 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. The ITC (HS) import policy classifies this tariff line as Prohibited; ensure all applicable exemption conditions and labelling compliance under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus are satisfied before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most consequential trap on this tariff line is the ITC (HS) Prohibited status: shark fins are not merely Restricted but categorically Prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy, meaning that FSSAI and AQCS clearances are necessary but not independently sufficient to authorise import. An importer who secures all PGA licences but overlooks the Prohibited classification faces confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962, regardless of the validity of the food-safety documentation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 18 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared shark fins 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 a concurrent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and an ITC (HS) Prohibited-import classification administered by DGFT.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The mandatory uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1); the IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit must be quoted on the bill of entry per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Does the ITC (HS) Prohibited status mean shark fins can never be imported?

The Prohibited classification under the ITC (HS) policy is the default position; any import requires a specific policy authorisation from DGFT in addition to all PGA clearances, and consignments without that authorisation are liable to confiscation at the designated port.

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