Fluoromethane (HFC-41), 1,2- difluoroethane (HFC-152) and 1,1 difluoroethane (HFC-152a)

Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant gases (HFC-41, HFC-152, HFC-152a)

DGFT CLEARANCE · CBIC CLEARANCE

HSN 2903 43 00 (Fluoromethane HFC-41, 1,2-difluoroethane HFC-152 and 1,1-difluoroethane HFC-152a) is classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted only under an Import Authorisation backed by a recommendation from the Ozone Cell, MoEF&CC, per policy condition 05 of Chapter 29. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory additional qualifiers under Chapter 29 apply as a concurrent customs overlay.

What this is

HSN code

2903 43 00

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 29, policy condition 05

Customs documentation

Import Authorisation from DGFT
Ozone Cell recommendation from MoEF&CC
Chapter 29 qualifiers from CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Obtain an Import Authorisation from DGFT accompanied by a recommendation from the Ozone Cell, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, before filing the bill of entry. Import of hydrofluorocarbons under this CTI without a valid Import Authorisation is a Restricted-policy violation under ITC (HS) 2022 Schedule-I.
ITC (HS) 2022 Schedule-I, policy condition 05, Chapter 29 · DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 dated 09-03-2022
2
Furnish the mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 29 commodities as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023. This requirement is operative from 15 October 2023 and non-compliance may cause bill-of-entry rejection or customs detention.
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 filing the bill of entry with the Import Authorisation in hand but without the Ozone Cell recommendation as a distinct, independently verified document. The Import Authorisation itself is issued on the strength of that recommendation, and customs officers routinely cross-check the underlying Ozone Cell reference at the out-of-charge stage; a mismatch or absence of the recommendation letter triggers detention and demurrage pending DGFT clarification. Additionally, ensure the Chapter 29 mandatory qualifiers are complete in the import declaration from 15 October 2023 onwards, as a deficient declaration is treated as a separate customs compliance failure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2903 43 00 require BIS certification?

No, hydrofluorocarbon gases under this tariff line fall outside 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 an Import Authorisation with an Ozone Cell, MoEF&CC recommendation under policy condition 05 of Chapter 29.

What are the mandatory additional qualifiers required at the bill of entry for this Chapter 29 commodity?

CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 mandates additional qualifiers in import declarations for Chapter 29 commodities as specified in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, operative from 15 October 2023; the exact fields must be populated in the bill of entry before submission.

Can HFC imports under this CTI be made on a Free import basis if the quantity is small?

No. The Restricted classification under ITC (HS) 2022 Schedule-I policy condition 05 applies regardless of import quantity; an Import Authorisation backed by an Ozone Cell recommendation is mandatory for every consignment.

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