Chloramphenicol and its derivatives; salts thereof
Chloramphenicol and its derivatives, salts thereof
HSN 2941 40 00 (Chloramphenicol and its derivatives; salts thereof) is subject to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) drug-import controls, including a prohibition on import of chloramphenicol and its formulations for use in any food-producing animal rearing system under S.O. 1158(E) dated 12.03.2025. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Rules, 1985 apply as a concurrent overlay where any substance in this tariff line is a scheduled NDPS substance, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 governs residual imports.
- Import licence for drugs from CDSCO
- Registration certificate from CDSCO
- Certificate of analysis from manufacturer
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
- 1Verify that the specific chloramphenicol formulation is not destined for use in a food-producing animal rearing system; such imports are prohibited with immediate effect under S.O. 1158(E) dated 12.03.2025. For permitted human-use or scientific-use imports, ensure the MOHFW drug import licence (document code 9111dc) and registration certificate for drugs (document code 101dc1) are current and uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.S.O. 1158(E) dated 12.03.2025 issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; document codes 9111dc, 101dc1
- 2Upload all mandatory documents in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge: Certificate of Analysis — Drug (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate for Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc). Where the substance is a scheduled NDPS substance, obtain an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 from the Central Bureau of Narcotics before shipment.NDPS Rules, 1985, Rule 53 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 to Chapter 29; document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 101dc1, 9111dc
- 3Include 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, operative from 15 October 2023. Missing or incomplete qualifiers result in the bill of entry being flagged for re-assessment and potential detention of the consignment.CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2
The prohibition under S.O. 1158(E) is end-use specific: the same tariff line is permissible for human-use pharmaceutical purposes but absolutely prohibited for food-animal rearing, and customs officers will look to the consignment label and end-use declaration to make that determination at the port of import. An importer who files a generic pharmaceutical end-use declaration without explicitly excluding veterinary-food-animal application risks confiscation and prosecution. Ensure the label of consignment (document code 0110dc) and the Certificate of Analysis (0010dc) are consistent with the stated end-use before shipment departs.