Other

Stable isotopes and their inorganic or organic compounds

DGFT CLEARANCE · CBIC CLEARANCE

HSN 2845 90 90 (stable isotopes and their compounds, other than heading 2844) is subject to a Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted only under a licence from the competent authority under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, per Policy Condition 1 of Chapter 28. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) additionally mandates declaration of mandatory chemical qualifiers at the bill-of-entry stage under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023.

What this is

HSN code

2845 90 90

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 28, Policy Condition 1 (Atomic Energy Act, 1962)

Customs documentation

Import licence from competent authority
Chapter 28 qualifiers from CBIC
ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a valid import licence from the competent authority designated under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the rules thereunder, before filing the bill of entry. This licence is the operative permission for the Restricted-import classification and must be presented at customs to obtain out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) Import Policy, Chapter 28, Policy Condition 1 · Atomic Energy Act, 1962
2
Declare all mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 28 commodities in the import declaration as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023. This requirement has been operative with effect from 15-10-2023 and non-compliant declarations are liable to be held up at the bill-of-entry assessment stage.
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 DGFT Restricted-import licence requirement with a general chemical-import authorisation: the licensing authority is the competent body under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 — not DGFT itself — and an incorrectly sourced or generically worded authorisation letter will not satisfy the policy condition, resulting in consignment detention pending regularisation. The Chapter 28 qualifier obligation under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus is a separate, parallel requirement that applies irrespective of the atomic-energy licence status.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2845 90 90 require BIS certification?

No, stable isotopes and their compounds under this tariff line are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, requiring a licence from the competent authority under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.

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

CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 prescribes mandatory additional qualifiers for import declarations covering Chapter 28 commodities; the specific qualifier fields are set out in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of that Circular, operative from 15-10-2023.

Which authority issues the import licence under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962?

The licence must be obtained from the competent authority designated under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the rules framed thereunder; the importer should confirm the current designated authority before placing the purchase order, as the rules are subject to amendment from time to time.

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