Other

Tetracycline antibiotics and derivatives, salts (other)

NDPS CLEARANCE

HSN 2941 30 90 (Other tetracyclines and their derivatives, salts thereof) is subject to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) import controls under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985, requiring an import certificate under Rule 53 before shipment. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers an ITC (HS) Restricted-import overlay under Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 29, and mandatory Chapter 29 chemical qualifiers must be filed in the import declaration under Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Circular 23/2023-Cus.

What this is

HSN code

2941 30 90

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

NDPS · NDPS Rules, 1985, Chapter VII-A (Rule 53 import certificate)

Customs documentation

Import certificate from NDPS
Import licence for drugs from CDSCO
Registration certificate from CDSCO

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

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
Obtain an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (cbn.nic.in) covering the specific tetracycline derivative and quantity before shipment. Imports for medical and scientific purposes are permitted under the special provisions of Chapter VII-A; all other imports are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 29.
Rule 53, Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 · ITC (HS) Policy Condition 2 to Chapter 29
2
Upload all mandatory documents in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed: Certificate of Analysis — Drug (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate — Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc). The proper officer must verify these uploads before granting out-of-charge.
e-Sanchit document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 101dc1, 9111dc · CCR PGA-facilitated-bill verification requirement
3
Ensure the import declaration includes the mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 29 commodities as stipulated in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, mandatory with effect from 15 October 2023. Declarations filed without these qualifiers are treated as incomplete and liable to detention at the port of import.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15-10-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the drugs-registration and import-licence documents as sufficient and overlooking the standalone NDPS import certificate from the Central Bureau of Narcotics — the two regimes operate in parallel, not as substitutes. A consignment arriving with complete CDSCO documentation but without a current Rule 53 NDPS import certificate will be detained pending NDPS clearance, and detention accrues demurrage and ground rent regardless of the drugs-licence status. Confirm the NDPS import certificate covers the exact derivative and salt form declared at the bill of entry, as scope mismatches trigger separate NDPS-policy enforcement.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2941 30 90 require BIS certification?

No, tetracycline antibiotics and their derivatives are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985 (Rule 53 import certificate) administered by the Central Bureau of Narcotics, with DGFT ITC (HS) Restricted-import controls under Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 29.

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

Five documents must be uploaded before out-of-charge: Certificate of Analysis — Drug (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate — Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc).

Can tetracycline derivatives be imported without an NDPS import certificate if they are for commercial pharmaceutical use?

No. Imports for medical and scientific purposes require an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 from the Central Bureau of Narcotics; imports outside that category are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 29, which does not bypass the NDPS certificate requirement.

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