Other preparations in blocks, slabs or bars weighing more than 2 kg. or in liquid, paste, powder, granular or other bulk form in containers or immediate packings, of a content exceeding 2 kg.

Bulk cocoa and chocolate food preparations exceeding 2 kg

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 20 00 (bulk chocolate and cocoa food preparations) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy controls apply including designated-port restrictions under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and imports of milk-containing chocolate products from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20.

What this is

HSN code

1806 20 00

Chapter

18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Designated-port 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
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence before the bill of entry is filed. The licence (document code 911001) and the specimen copy of label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; customs out-of-charge will not be granted until the proper officer verifies these uploads for PGA-facilitated bills.
FSSAI Import Licence doc code 911001 · Label specimen doc code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Verify that the consignment does not originate from China if it contains milk or milk solids as an ingredient. Imports of milk-based chocolates, chocolate products, and confectioneries containing milk solids from China are prohibited until port-laboratory capacity for melamine testing is certified as adequate — there is no licence-based route around this prohibition.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019
3
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Where the consignment originates from or transits Bangladesh, confirm applicability of the port restrictions introduced under Para 19 of the General Notes via DGFT Notification 7/2025-26, and identify whether any exemption under Para 2 or Para 3 of that notification applies.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is underestimating the labelling-rectification regime: a label deficiency is not automatically a ground for refusal, but rectification must occur at a customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection by an FSSAI-authorised officer, using a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel without altering the original label. Attempting rectification after inspection, or outside bonded premises, converts a rectifiable deficiency into a non-conformance that attracts re-export or confiscation. Additionally, importers frequently overlook that the China-origin prohibition on milk-containing products operates as an absolute bar — no NOC, derogation, or port-level upgrade waiver is available to the importer.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 20 00 require BIS certification?

No, bulk cocoa and chocolate food preparations 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, labelling compliance, and designated-port restrictions as the operative requirements.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the specimen copy of label (document code 0110FS) are mandatory e-Sanchit uploads; the proper officer verifies these before granting out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Are all chocolate products from China prohibited, or only those containing milk?

Only chocolates, chocolate products, and candies or confectioneries that contain milk or milk solids as an ingredient are prohibited from import from China, per DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019; cocoa-based preparations with no milk content are not caught by this prohibition but remain subject to FSSAI import requirements.

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