Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)

Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) inorganic chemical

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2815 20 00 (Potassium hydroxide — caustic potash) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, where used in food-grade applications. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory Chapter 28 qualifier obligations apply as additional clearance requirements at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

2815 20 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Chapter 28 qualifiers from CBIC

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
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify both documents are present prior to granting out-of-charge; consignments without these uploads will be held pending PGA clearance.
FSSAI Import Licence · document codes 911001 and 0110FS · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
2
Ensure the import declaration includes mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 28 commodities as stipulated in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, with effect from 15 October 2023. Declarations filed without the specified Chapter 28 qualifiers are liable to rejection at the bill-of-entry stage.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, Para 4.1 and 4.2
3
Verify that labelling complies with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Any rectifiable labelling deficiency must be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse using a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel, before visual inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer, per the rectifiable-labelling dispensation.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus 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

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry without the Chapter 28 mandatory qualifiers introduced by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. The FSSAI licence and label upload are well-understood by experienced importers, but the chemical-specific qualifier obligation — which applies across Chapters 28, 29, 32, 39 and CTH 3808 — is frequently overlooked for caustic potash, resulting in declaration rejection and demurrage while the entry is revised. Confirm the qualifier fields are populated in the electronic declaration before the vessel arrives at port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2815 20 00 require BIS certification?

No, potassium hydroxide 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 CBIC Chapter 28 mandatory qualifier obligations and ITC (HS) policy administered by DGFT.

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 out-of-charge; the proper officer verifies these on PGA-facilitated bills.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified at the port of import?

Yes, within the scope defined by CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering the original label, before the authorised officer's inspection.

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