Not filled

Chocolate and cocoa food preparations, not filled

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 32 00 (Not filled chocolate and cocoa food preparations) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with mandatory e-Sanchit upload of the licence and specimen label before customs out-of-charge. Import of milk-containing chocolates and confectioneries from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019, and consignments must clear only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

1806 32 00

Chapter

18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Port-compliance 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 a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit together with a specimen copy of the product label (document code 0110FS) before filing the bill of entry. Customs out-of-charge will not be given unless both documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
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
2
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports as mandated under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Additionally, if the consignment originates from or transits Bangladesh, verify applicability of port restrictions and exemptions under Para 19 of General Notes introduced by DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025.
General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025
3
Do not import chocolates, chocolate products, or confectioneries containing milk or milk solids of Chinese origin under any circumstances. The prohibition is absolute pending laboratory upgradation at ports for melamine testing and is not waivable by FSSAI licence.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019

A word of counsel

The China-origin prohibition is the single most frequent compliance failure on this tariff line: importers assume that a current FSSAI Import Licence resolves all clearance issues, but DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 imposes an origin-specific absolute bar on milk-containing chocolate and confectionery from China that the FSSAI licence cannot override. Separately, labelling deficiencies such as a missing per-serve RDA contribution or expiry date may be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse under the rectifiable-labelling regime, but only by the manufacturer's own affixed sticker and only before visual inspection by the authorised officer.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 32 00 require BIS certification?

No, chocolate and cocoa 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 and specimen-label upload as the operative clearance requirements.

Are chocolate products containing milk from China importable with an FSSAI licence?

No. DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 prohibits import of chocolates and food preparations containing milk or milk solids as an ingredient from China until port laboratories are upgraded for melamine testing; the prohibition applies irrespective of FSSAI licence status.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported chocolate consignments be corrected at the port?

Yes, within defined limits. Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus read with the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022, specified information such as per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date may be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse by a single non-detachable sticker affixed by the manufacturer before the authorised officer's visual inspection.

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