Vermiculite

Unexpanded vermiculite, a mineral substance

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 2530 10 10 (Vermiculite) is subject to an import permit issued by the Plant Quarantine Information System (PQIS) under India's plant quarantine regime. The permit (document code 911PQ1) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge is granted at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

2530 10 10

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

PQIS · Plant quarantine import permit regime

Customs documentation

Import permit from PQIS
e-Sanchit upload confirmation

Compliance steps

1
Obtain the PQIS import permit before consignment dispatch and ensure it covers the quantity and origin of the unexpanded vermiculite to be imported. Upload the permit in e-Sanchit under document code 911PQ1 prior to filing the bill of entry.
PQIS import permit · document code 911PQ1 · CCR customs verification note
2
At the bill-of-entry stage, confirm that the PQIS permit has been correctly linked in e-Sanchit so that the proper officer can verify the mandatory document before granting out-of-charge. Consignments where the 911PQ1 upload is absent or mislinked will be held pending verification.
Document code 911PQ1 · e-Sanchit verification requirement per CCR customs note

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating vermiculite as an inert mineral exempt from plant quarantine controls and arriving at the port without the PQIS import permit uploaded in e-Sanchit. Unexpanded vermiculite falls within the plant quarantine import permit regime regardless of its end use — industrial, horticultural, or construction — and a missing 911PQ1 upload results in consignment detention and accrual of demurrage until the permit is obtained and uploaded.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2530 10 10 require BIS certification?

No, unexpanded vermiculite is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this mineral substance. Import is governed by the plant quarantine import permit issued by the Plant Quarantine Information System, with document code 911PQ1 mandatory at the bill of entry.

Is the PQIS import permit upload in e-Sanchit required even when the bill is PGA-facilitated?

Yes. Where a bill has not been routed through the PGA for NOC, the proper officer must independently verify that the 911PQ1 permit has been uploaded in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge; the obligation is not waived by PGA facilitation.

Does the plant quarantine permit requirement apply to all grades and end uses of unexpanded vermiculite?

The CCR does not carve out any grade or end-use exemption; the PQIS import permit under document code 911PQ1 applies to unexpanded vermiculite under HSN 2530 10 10 regardless of intended application.

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