M-phenylenediamine (m-di aminobenzene)

m-Phenylenediamine, a diaminobenzene aromatic amine

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 17450 · CIB&RC OVERLAY · NDPS OVERLAY

HSN 2921 51 20 (m-phenylenediamine, also known as 1,3-phenylenediamine) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 17450:2020 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 28 October 2022, by virtue of the 1,3 Phenylenediamine (Quality Control) Order, 2022. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances controls, Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee registration, and Public Liability Insurance requirements apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

2921 51 20

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 17450:2020 · effective 28-10-2022

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

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

NDPSNDPS·Narcotics Control Bureau

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

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 17450:2020 for 1,3-phenylenediamine. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility address on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
1,3 Phenylenediamine (Quality Control) Order, 2022 · S.O. 1960(E) dated 27-04-2022
2
Ensure every consignment lot bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product label or immediate container, not on outer packaging alone.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · 1,3 Phenylenediamine (Quality Control) Order, 2022
3
Upload the mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 29 commodities in the import declaration. These qualifiers — applicable with effect from 15 October 2023 — are stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023
4
If the consignment also figures in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, obtain registration and a permit from the Secretariat of the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee before import. Import is restricted to places specified under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971.
Insecticides Act, 1968 · Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971
5
If the imported quantity of this specified hazardous substance exceeds the threshold quantities, take out a Public Liability Insurance policy as required by the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 before the consignment arrives.
S.O. 227(E) dated 24-03-1992 · Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991

A word of counsel

The single most common failure on this tariff line is treating the BIS QCO as the only compliance gate and overlooking that m-phenylenediamine shares its CTI with nitrogen mustards and other Chemical Weapons Convention-scheduled substances. Customs officers apply additional scrutiny to any Chapter 29 bill of entry carrying CWC-listed analogues; a consignment correctly licensed under IS 17450:2020 can still be detained if the supplementary ITC HS declarations for CWC-category substances and the CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus additional qualifiers are absent or incomplete on the bill of entry.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2921 51 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. 1,3-phenylenediamine must conform to IS 17450:2020 and bear the ISI mark under a CM/L licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards, with effect from 28 October 2022 under the 1,3 Phenylenediamine (Quality Control) Order, 2022.

Are NDPS or CWC controls applicable to m-phenylenediamine imports?

The CTI can carry substances subject to NDPS Rules and CWC Schedule restrictions. Importers must confirm whether their specific substance or blend falls within Appendix I or II to the ITC HS Schedule for Chapter 29 and obtain the applicable permissions before shipment.

What are the mandatory additional qualifier requirements for this CTI?

CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus requires importers to declare additional qualifiers in import declarations for Chapter 29 commodities per paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, applicable from 15 October 2023. Absence of these qualifiers prevents out-of-charge.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all phenylenediamine isomers and derivatives?

No. A CM/L licence under IS 17450:2020 is scope-specific to 1,3-phenylenediamine; other isomers (ortho, para) or salts and derivatives outside the licensed specification require separate verification against their respective licensed standards.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / CIB&RC / NDPS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.