Sodium sulphoxylates (including sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate)

Sodium sulphoxylates including sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate (Rongalite)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 4505

HSN 2831 10 20 (sodium sulphoxylates including sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate, commercially known as Rongalite) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 4505:2015 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 16 December 2020, by virtue of the Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate (Quality Control) Order, 2020. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs mandatory additional-qualifier requirements for Chapter 28 commodities apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

2831 10 20

Chapter

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

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 4505:2015 · effective 16-12-2020

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 4505:2015 for sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed facility address on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 1902(E) dated 16-06-2020
2
Ensure every consignment batch bears the ISI standard mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product or its immediate commercial packaging, not on the outer shipping container alone.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate (Quality Control) Order, 2020
3
Obtain and retain the supplier's test certificates confirming conformance to the assay, iron content, sulphite limit, and free-formaldehyde parameters prescribed in IS 4505:2015. These documents must be available for customs examination at the port of import.
IS 4505:2015 · Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 1902(E) dated 16-06-2020
4
Comply with the mandatory additional-qualifier requirements under CBIC Circular 23/2023-CUS dated 30-09-2023, applicable to Chapter 28 commodity import declarations with effect from 15 October 2023. Ensure all stipulated qualifiers under paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of that circular are correctly declared on the bill of entry.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-CUS dated 30-09-2023 · General Note 2 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number on the bill of entry, supported by the IS 4505:2015 test certificate and all mandatory additional qualifiers. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention.
BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962 · S.O. 1902(E) dated 16-06-2020

A word of counsel

The most frequently encountered error on this tariff line is treating the gazette notification date of S.O. 1902(E) (16 June 2020) as the enforcement date, when the BIS QCO obligation on imported consignments took effect from 16 December 2020. Consignments shipped before that effective date without ISI-marked product were lawful; consignments shipped on or after 16 December 2020 without a valid CM/L-backed ISI mark face detention, monetary penalty, and potential confiscation under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, regardless of whether the underlying purchase order predates the enforcement date.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2831 10 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. Sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate (Rongalite) under this tariff line requires conformity to IS 4505:2015 under the ISI Mark Scheme; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence, with effect from 16 December 2020.

Are there additional declaration requirements beyond the BIS CM/L number at the time of import?

Yes. CBIC Circular 23/2023-CUS dated 30-09-2023 mandates additional qualifiers in import declarations for Chapter 28 commodities with effect from 15 October 2023; the specific qualifiers are set out in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of that circular.

What is the significance of the two dates associated with S.O. 1902(E)?

S.O. 1902(E) was gazetted on 16 June 2020; the CCR confirms the BIS QCO obligation on import consignments took effect from 16 December 2020. The gazette date and the enforcement date are six months apart, and declarations must reflect the correct enforcement date.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all technical grades and batch specifications of sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific to the manufacturing facility and the product parameters licensed under IS 4505:2015; product outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed facility is not covered and customs will detain the consignment on a scope mismatch.

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