Rock salt

Rock salt for food and industrial use

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2501 00 20 (Rock salt) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent Plant Quarantine Import Permit (document code 911PQ1) issued by the Plant Quarantine and Inspection Service. Consignments must enter only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Restricted-import policy applies as the overarching ITC (HS) overlay.

What this is

HSN code

2501 00 20

Chapter

25 · Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Import permit from PQIS
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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 (document code 911001) and ensure the overseas manufacturing facility is eligible for food-import clearance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Upload the licence in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry; customs out-of-charge will not be granted without it.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Secure the Plant Quarantine Import Permit (document code 911PQ1) from the Plant Quarantine and Inspection Service and upload it in e-Sanchit alongside the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS). The proper officer is required to verify all three mandatory documents — 911001, 911PQ1, and 0110FS — before issuing out-of-charge on PGA-facilitated bills.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · document codes 911PQ1, 911001, 0110FS
3
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022. Any labelling deficiencies permitted under FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 must be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the Plant Quarantine Import Permit (911PQ1), which is an independent mandatory upload in e-Sanchit. A bill of entry presented with only the FSSAI licence will be held at the designated port pending the PQIS permit, attracting demurrage and ground rent; the rectifiable-labelling dispensation applies solely to specified labelling gaps and does not cure a missing PGA clearance document.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2501 00 20 require BIS certification?

No, rock salt falls outside 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 a concurrent Plant Quarantine Import Permit requirement and the designated food-import port restriction under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for rock salt imports?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Plant Quarantine Import Permit issued by PQIS (911PQ1), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS). All three must be uploaded before customs out-of-charge is granted per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported rock salt be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only within the specific parameters permitted under FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019, and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before the authorised officer's inspection, and does not extend to missing PGA permits.

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