Pethidine (INN) and its salt

Pethidine and its salts, scheduled narcotic analgesic

CIB&RC CLEARANCE

HSN 2933 33 25 (Pethidine (INN) and its salt) requires a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Narcotics Commissioner, Gwalior, before import, and is subject to ITC (HS) import policy condition 3 of Chapter 29 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Where the substance figures in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, registration and an import permit from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) are additionally required, and import is restricted to specified ports under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971.

What this is

HSN code

2933 33 25

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

CIB&RC · Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971 (where scheduled); Narcotics Commissioner NOC for all imports

Customs documentation

NOC from Narcotics Commissioner, Gwalior
Registration certificate from CIB&RC
Chapter 29 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

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

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

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a No Objection Certificate from the Narcotics Commissioner, Gwalior, before the consignment is shipped. This NOC is mandatory for every import consignment of pethidine and its salts, regardless of the importing entity's other licences or authorisations.
DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 dated 09-02-2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 3, Chapter 29
2
Within 30 days of import, notify the details of each consignment to the National Authority, Chemical Weapons Convention (Cabinet Secretariat); Ministry of External Affairs (DANDISA); Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals; and DGFT, and submit a copy of the bill of entry to DGFT within the same 30-day window.
ITC (HS) policy condition 3, Chapter 29 · DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 dated 09-02-2022
3
If the substance falls within the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, obtain CIB&RC registration and an import permit from the Secretariat of CIB&RC, route the consignment through a specified port under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971, and ensure mandatory Chapter 29 additional qualifiers are included in the import declaration per CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, with effect from 15-10-2023.
Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971 · CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 (para 4.1 and 4.2)

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the Narcotics Commissioner NOC — which is unconditional and precedes shipment — with the CIB&RC permit, which arises only if the substance is scheduled under the Insecticides Act, 1968. Importers who assume one clearance substitutes for the other face detention and potential confiscation at the port of import. Additionally, the 30-day post-import notification obligation to four separate authorities is a standing condition; a missed notification constitutes a separate DGFT policy breach even when all pre-shipment clearances are current.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2933 33 25 require BIS certification?

No, pethidine and its salts are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Narcotics Commissioner NOC requirement and ITC (HS) policy condition 3 of Chapter 29 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a concurrent CIB&RC permit obligation where the substance is scheduled under the Insecticides Act, 1968.

Does the 30-day post-import notification apply to all importers, including state-party entities under the Chemical Weapons Convention?

Yes. Policy condition 3 of Chapter 29 requires the notification to all four authorities — National Authority CWC, DANDISA, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, and DGFT — for every import consignment, from both state parties and non-state parties to the CWC, within 30 days of import.

What are the consequences if the substance is found to be scheduled under the Insecticides Act, 1968 but was imported without CIB&RC registration?

Import without CIB&RC registration and permit where the substance is scheduled constitutes a violation of the Insecticides Act, 1968, exposing the consignment to seizure and the importer to prosecution; the restricted-port condition under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971 is also separately breached.

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