Mercury

Mercury, elemental liquid metal

DGFT CLEARANCE · CBIC CLEARANCE

HSN 2805 40 00 (Mercury) is subject to a Restricted import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the ITC (HS) Schedule, with import conditional on completion of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, obtained from the National Focal Point in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 28 commodities, as stipulated in CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, apply as a concurrent customs overlay effective 15 October 2023.

What this is

HSN code

2805 40 00

Chapter

28 · Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 28 (Minamata Convention PIC condition)

Customs documentation

Prior Informed Consent from MoEF&CC
Import declaration from DGFT
Chapter 28 qualifiers from CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Before placing the purchase order, initiate the Prior Informed Consent procedure with the National Focal Point of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The PIC must be obtained prior to shipment; import without a valid PIC is a violation of the Restricted-import condition under the ITC (HS) policy.
DGFT Notification 24/2015-2020 dated 09-09-2021 · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 28
2
Ensure the bill of entry includes all mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 28 commodities as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. Declarations filed without these qualifiers on or after 15 October 2023 are non-compliant and liable to detention at the customs station.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paras 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15-10-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the Minamata Convention PIC as a post-arrival formality. The PIC is a pre-shipment prerequisite — a consignment of mercury that arrives without a completed PIC from the MoEF&CC National Focal Point has no lawful basis for import under the Restricted policy condition, exposing the importer to detention, re-export, and DGFT-policy enforcement. The PIC procedure details, including the designated division within MoEF&CC, are published at moef.gov.in under Hazardous Substance Management Division.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2805 40 00 require BIS certification?

No, elemental mercury is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Restricted import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a mandatory Prior Informed Consent condition under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

What are the Chapter 28 mandatory qualifiers required under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus?

Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 specify the additional declaration qualifiers required for import declarations covering Chapter 28 commodities; these are mandatory for all bills of entry filed on or after 15 October 2023.

Where can an importer access the PIC procedure for the Minamata Convention?

The procedure is published by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at moef.gov.in under Divisions > Environment Divisions > Hazardous Substance Management Division > Import/Export, as referenced in DGFT Notification 24/2015-2020 dated 09-09-2021.

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