Sun cured country (natu) tobacco

Sun cured country (natu) tobacco, unmanufactured unstemmed

MOHFW CLEARANCE

HSN 2401 10 20 (Sun cured country (natu) tobacco) is subject to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) packaging and labelling requirements under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2022, operative from 1 December 2022. The tariff line carries an ITC (HS) policy overlay administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under General Note 13 of the ITC (HS) Schedule, with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Instruction 02/2023 governing bill-of-entry verification.

What this is

HSN code

2401 10 20

Chapter

24 · Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes

Primary regulator

MOHFW · Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2022

Customs documentation

Label compliance declaration from MOHFW
Health warning conformance from exporter
ITC (HS) General Note 13 declaration from DGFT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

MOHFWMOHFW·Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Ensure all packaging and labelling of the consignment conforms to the new health warnings notified under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2022, with effect from 1 December 2022. Non-conforming labelling renders the consignment liable to detention and refusal of out-of-charge at the port of import.
GSR 592(E) dated 21-07-2022 · MOHFW letter D.O.P.16011/02/2017-TC (PART-1) dated 09-12-2022
2
Confirm compliance with General Note 13 of the ITC (HS) Schedule before filing the bill of entry. The Proper Officer will verify that mandatory labelling documents evidencing health-warning conformance have been uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to granting out-of-charge.
General Note 13 of ITC (HS) Schedule · CBIC Instruction 02/2023 dated 07-01-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is presenting packaging that conforms to pre-2022 health-warning specifications. The Amendment Rules, 2022 notified an entirely new set of health warnings effective 1 December 2022, and consignments bearing the prior-generation warnings are treated as non-compliant regardless of manufacturing date or country of origin. Verify current warning artwork against the specifications published on the MOHFW website (mohfw.nic.in) before the consignment is packed and shipped.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2401 10 20 require BIS certification?

No, unmanufactured tobacco falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2022, with the ITC (HS) General Note 13 policy overlay administered by DGFT.

When did the new health-warning requirements under the Amendment Rules, 2022 take effect?

The new health warnings notified by MOHFW via GSR 592(E) dated 21 July 2022 became mandatory with effect from 1 December 2022, as clarified by CBIC Instruction 02/2023 dated 07 January 2023.

What happens if the imported tobacco packaging bears outdated health warnings?

Consignments with non-conforming health warnings are liable to detention at the port of import and refusal of out-of-charge; clearance cannot be regularised by post-importation re-labelling without MOHFW sanction.

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