Citric acid

Citric acid, organic carboxylic acid with oxygen function

FSSAI CLEARANCE · CIB&RC CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 2918 14 00 (Citric acid) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 when imported for food-grade use, with concurrent registration and import permit requirements from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) under the Insecticides Act, 1968 where the substance figures in the insecticides schedule. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) controls under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 apply as additional overlays, alongside mandatory Chapter 29 additional qualifiers in import declarations per CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus.

What this is

HSN code

2918 14 00

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food-grade use); CIB&RC · Insecticides Act, 1968 (pesticide schedule use)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Registration certificate from CIB&RC
Chapter 29 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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

NDPSNDPS·Narcotics Control Bureau

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

Compliance steps

1
Determine the end-use classification of the consignment before filing the bill of entry. If the citric acid is food-grade, upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit. If the substance figures in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, obtain registration and an import permit from the CIB&RC secretariat and restrict import to notified ports under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971.
FSSAI Import Licence · document code 911001 · Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971 · CIB&RC registration
2
Upload all mandatory e-Sanchit documents before out-of-charge: Certificate of Analysis – Drug (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Registration Certificate – Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc) as applicable to the specific product category. Ensure compliance with the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
CCR document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 0110FS, 101dc1, 911001, 9111dc · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Include mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 29 commodities effective 15 October 2023, as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. If the substance is subject to NDPS controls, import for medical or scientific purposes requires an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985; all other NDPS-category imports are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule per ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 · Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating citric acid as a single-regime import when it attracts up to three concurrent PGA clearances depending on declared end-use. A food-grade consignment without the FSSAI Import Licence, a pesticide-schedule consignment without CIB&RC registration and permit, or a declaration missing the Chapter 29 mandatory qualifiers under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus will each independently trigger detention at the port of import — the absence of one clearance does not suspend the obligation for the others.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2918 14 00 require BIS certification?

No. Citric acid is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for food-grade use, the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee where the substance falls under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and NDPS controls under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985, with DGFT policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 as the overarching ITC (HS) overlay.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this HSN?

The applicable codes are 0010dc (Certificate of Analysis – Drug), 0030dc (Batch Release Certificate), 0110dc (Label of Consignment), 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label), 101dc1 (Registration Certificate – Drugs), 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence), and 9111dc (Import Licence for Drugs), applied according to the specific product category and end-use.

When does the NDPS import certificate requirement apply to citric acid under this tariff line?

The NDPS import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 is required only when the substance falls within the NDPS schedule and is imported for medical or scientific purposes; imports outside that category are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.

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