Other

Sugar confectionery without cocoa (candies, sweets, white chocolate)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1704 90 90 (Other sugar confectionery not containing cocoa) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and label-compliance requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy mandates compliance with designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, with an additional prohibition on import of milk-containing confectioneries from China until port laboratories are upgraded for melamine testing.

What this is

HSN code

1704 90 90

Chapter

17 · Sugars and sugar confectionery

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Entry-point declaration per DGFT

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
Obtain the FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001, along with the Specimen Copy of Label under document code 0110FS, before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify both uploads prior to granting out-of-charge where the bill has not been routed through the PGA for NOC.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment only through designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Additionally, verify applicability of DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 regarding para 19 port restrictions on imports from Bangladesh, and confirm whether the consignment falls within the exempted goods listed in paras 2 and 3 of that notification.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025
3
Where the consignment contains milk or milk solids as an ingredient and originates from China, the import is prohibited until port-laboratory capacity for melamine testing is certified as adequate. Confirm the origin declaration before shipment; consignments from China in this product category face outright detention at the port of entry.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019

A word of counsel

The most frequently overlooked trap on this tariff line is the China-origin milk-ingredient prohibition: importers classify the product as plain sugar confectionery, overlook the milk-solids declaration on the foreign manufacturer's label, and present the consignment at port — only for the proper officer to detain it pending melamine-testing clearance that the port laboratory is not yet equipped to perform. Verify the ingredient declaration against the foreign label and the country of origin before placing the purchase order; rectifiable-labelling dispensation does not apply to a prohibition-driven detention.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1704 90 90 require BIS certification?

No, sugar confectionery not containing cocoa is 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 ITC (HS) policy controls administered by DGFT including designated-port entry-point restrictions.

What labelling deficiencies can be rectified at the port for confectionery imports under this HSN?

Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022, rectifiable deficiencies include per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date-of-expiry information, provided the manufacturer supplies the correction; rectification is carried out at customs bonded warehouses by a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.

Are confectionery imports from Bangladesh subject to any special port restrictions?

Yes. DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 introduced para 19 in the General Notes of the ITC (HS) 2022, imposing port restrictions on certain goods imported from Bangladesh; importers must verify whether this HSN falls within the restricted or exempted categories listed in paras 2 and 3 of that notification before routing the consignment.

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