Sugar confectionary containing cocoa

Sugar confectionery containing cocoa (cocoa candies, chocolate confections)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 90 20 (Sugar confectionery containing cocoa) 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. Import from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending laboratory-capacity upgrades for melamine testing, and consignments must enter only through designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I.

What this is

HSN code

1806 90 20

Chapter

18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
ITC (HS) policy declaration from 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 before filing the bill of entry and upload both the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit. The proper officer must verify these documents are uploaded before granting out-of-charge; bills not routed through the PGA will be held pending this verification.
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 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Verify whether the origin country is China — imports of chocolates, confectioneries, and food preparations containing milk or milk solids from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 and remain so until port laboratory capacity for melamine testing is confirmed upgraded.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Ensure label compliance with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 prior to dispatch; rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and expiry-date presentation — may be corrected at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label. Where Bangladesh-origin goods are involved, confirm compliance with DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 regarding port restrictions under the newly introduced General Notes para 19.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025

A word of counsel

The China-origin prohibition under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 applies to any chocolate or confectionery product containing milk or milk solids as an ingredient — a scope that catches most commercially traded cocoa-sugar confectionery. Importers who assume the prohibition is limited to pure dairy products and file bills of entry for China-origin consignments face outright refusal of out-of-charge, consignment detention, and demurrage at the designated port, with no rectification pathway available because the prohibition is country-of-origin-based, not label-based.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 90 20 require BIS certification?

No, sugar confectionery containing cocoa is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence, designated-port, and labelling requirements as the operative obligations.

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

Document code 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence) and document code 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is assessed and out-of-charge is granted.

Is the China-origin prohibition absolute, or are there exemptions for small quantities or personal imports?

DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 states the prohibition remains in force until port laboratories are upgraded for melamine testing; no quantity-based or personal-import exemption is recorded in the applicable CCR, and consignments from China containing milk or milk solids will be refused out-of-charge.

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