Khandsari sugar

Khandsari sugar, other cane sugar in solid form

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1701 14 20 (Khandsari sugar) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including designated food-import port restrictions under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. All import contracts under ITC (HS) heading 1701 must be compulsorily registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) per APEDA Trade Notice Sugar/Import/01/2019 dated 03-07-2019. The Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme is not available for sugar imports under this tariff line.

What this is

HSN code

1701 14 20

Chapter

17 · Sugars and sugar confectionery

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
APEDA contract registration from APEDA

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
Register the import contract with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority before filing the bill of entry. This registration is compulsory for all sugar imports under ITC (HS) heading 1701 and must be completed prior to shipment.
APEDA Trade Notice Sugar/Import/01/2019 dated 03-07-2019
2
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is presented for out-of-charge. Labelling deficiencies permissible under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker, without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
3
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm that the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme has not been utilised for this consignment, as DFIA is explicitly excluded for raw sugar imports under Para 4.25 of the Foreign Trade Policy.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · Para 4.25 of FTP 2015-20

A word of counsel

The most frequently overlooked requirement on this tariff line is the APEDA contract-registration obligation, which is separate from and prior to the FSSAI clearance. Importers who secure the FSSAI licence but fail to register the purchase contract with APEDA before shipment face detention at the designated port and potential refusal of out-of-charge. The DFIA exclusion is absolute — no post-filing endorsement can cure a bill of entry where DFIA has been claimed for Khandsari sugar.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1701 14 20 require BIS certification?

No, Khandsari sugar falls 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 mandatory APEDA contract registration and designated food-import port requirements.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are mandatory uploads in e-Sanchit; out-of-charge will not be granted by the proper officer until both documents are verified, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified after arrival at port?

Yes, but only for the categories of labelling information specified under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — including per-serve RDA percentages and date of expiry alongside best-before date — provided rectification is carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer.

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