Of sodium

Sodium cyanide, inorganic cyanide compound of sodium

CIB&RC CLEARANCE

HSN 2837 11 00 (Sodium cyanide) is subject to Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) registration and import permit requirements under the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971, where the product falls within the Schedule to that Act. Import of sodium cyanide for use as a pesticide is banned under the Pesticides (Prohibition) Order, 2018 vide S.O. 3951(E). Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory Chapter 28 qualifier declarations apply as an additional customs overlay.

What this is

HSN code

2837 11 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

CIB&RC · Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971

Customs documentation

Registration certificate from CIB&RC
Import permit from CIB&RC
Chapter 28 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

CIB&RCCIB&RC·Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee

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

Compliance steps

1
Determine whether the sodium cyanide consignment falls within the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968. If it does, obtain registration and an import permit from the Secretariat of CIB&RC before shipment. Note that import for use as a pesticide is categorically banned under S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018; only non-insecticidal end-use may be licensed.
Insecticides Act, 1968 · Insecticides Rules, 1971 · Pesticides (Prohibition) Order, 2018 vide S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018
2
Route the consignment only through the ports at which insecticides may be imported, as restricted under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971. Where the product is imported for a non-insecticidal purpose, a separate import permit from the Registration Committee under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is still required.
Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971
3
File mandatory additional qualifier declarations for Chapter 28 commodities at the bill of entry stage in compliance with CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, with effect from 15 October 2023. The qualifiers stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of that Circular are mandatory for all import declarations under Chapter 28.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the pesticide-use ban with a blanket prohibition on all sodium cyanide imports. The S.O. 3951(E) prohibition is end-use specific: consignments destined for non-insecticidal applications — metallurgical, electroplating, chemical synthesis — remain importable under a CIB&RC import permit, but the importer must affirmatively document the non-insecticidal end-use at the bill of entry. Arriving at an unspecified port under Rule 45 or omitting the Chapter 28 CBIC qualifiers triggers detention irrespective of the validity of the CIB&RC permit.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2837 11 00 require BIS certification?

No, sodium cyanide is not subject to any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee under the Insecticides Act, 1968, with a categorical ban on pesticide-use imports under the Pesticides (Prohibition) Order, 2018 vide S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018.

Which ports are permitted for importing sodium cyanide under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971?

Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971 restricts import of scheduled insecticides to specified ports only; the current notified list should be confirmed with the CIB&RC Secretariat before placing the purchase order, as diversion to an unspecified port renders the consignment liable to seizure.

Is a CIB&RC import permit required even when sodium cyanide is imported for a non-insecticidal purpose such as electroplating?

Yes. The regulatory record expressly provides that where the product falling under this tariff line is imported for a non-insecticidal purpose, an import permit from the Registration Committee under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is still required under the Insecticides Rules, 1971.

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