Actinium-225, actinium-227, californium-253, curium-240, curium-241, curium-242, curium-243, curium-244, einsteinium-253, einsteinium-254, gadolinium-148, polonium-208, polonium-209, polonium-210, radium-223, uranium-230 or uranium-232, and their compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing these elements or compounds

Radioactive isotopes for medical, industrial and research use

AERB CLEARANCE

HSN 2844 42 00 covers specified radioactive isotopes and their compounds — including actinium, curium, polonium, radium and uranium isotopes — and import is Restricted under the ITC (HS) policy, subject to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and rules thereunder, as administered by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). A narrow free-import carve-out exists for radioimmunoassay kits intended for diagnostic use in humans or animals, subject to prior AERB permission per DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 dated 09-02-2022. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory Chapter 28 additional qualifiers in import declarations apply with effect from 15 October 2023.

What this is

HSN code

2844 42 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

AERB · Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and rules thereunder

Customs documentation

Import authorisation from AERB
Prior permission letter from AERB
Chapter 28 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

AERBAERB·Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain prior authorisation from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board before shipment, covering the specific isotope, activity level, and end use. The consignment is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy and cannot be cleared without AERB authorisation; radioimmunoassay kits for diagnostic use also require prior AERB permission even under the free-import carve-out.
Atomic Energy Act, 1962 · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy · DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 dated 09-02-2022
2
File the bill of entry with 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, effective 15 October 2023. Missing or incorrect qualifiers trigger bill-of-entry rejection at the customs system level before assessment.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paras 4.1 and 4.2

A word of counsel

The diagnostic-kit carve-out is frequently misread as a general licence exemption for radioimmunoassay kits: it is not. Prior AERB permission remains mandatory even when the import is classified as 'free' under the ITC (HS) policy for that sub-category. Arriving at port without a current AERB authorisation — regardless of the declared end use — results in consignment detention, and the radioactive nature of the goods means demurrage and storage costs escalate rapidly under specialist handling requirements.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2844 42 00 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers radioactive isotopes or their compounds under this tariff line. Import is governed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, with the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade as the overarching policy framework.

Do radioimmunoassay kits for disease diagnosis qualify for free import under this HSN?

Yes, but only subject to prior AERB permission; the free-import status per DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 dated 09-02-2022 does not remove the AERB authorisation requirement, and the kits must be intended for diagnosis of disease or disorders in humans or animals.

What are the mandatory Chapter 28 qualifiers required at the bill-of-entry stage?

CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 requires specific additional qualifiers in import declarations for all commodities under Chapter 28, as set out in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15 October 2023; failure to include them results in system-level rejection of the declaration.

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