Codeine and derivatives, with or without ephidrine hydrochloride
Codeine and derivatives medicaments, with or without ephedrine hydrochloride
HSN 3004 49 30 (Codeine and derivatives, with or without ephedrine hydrochloride) is subject to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Rules, with import of methyl morphine (codeine), its salts and preparations prohibited except on production of an import certificate issued by the Narcotics Commissioner under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) drug registration and licensing documents are also mandatory at the bill of entry, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) classifies this tariff line as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy.
- Import certificate from Narcotics Commissioner
- Import licence for drugs from CDSCO
- Registration certificate from CDSCO
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Obtain an import certificate from the Narcotics Commissioner before shipment. Under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, import of methyl morphine (codeine), its salts and preparations is prohibited without this certificate; filing a bill of entry without it constitutes an NDPS Act violation and exposes the consignment to seizure and the importer to criminal liability.Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules · DGFT Notification 39/2015-2020 dated 03-10-2018
- 2Upload all mandatory drug-documentation in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed: Certificate of Analysis — Drug (document code 0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate for Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc). Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until each of these document codes is verified in e-Sanchit.CDSCO drug-import requirements · e-Sanchit document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 101dc1, 9111dc
The most common error on this tariff line is treating CDSCO drug-import documentation as the sole bottleneck and overlooking the Narcotics Commissioner import certificate, which is an independent NDPS precondition that no CDSCO clearance can substitute. A consignment with full CDSCO documentation but without the NDPS import certificate is treated as a prohibited import under the NDPS Act, attracting seizure, criminal prosecution, and ground rent or demurrage for the entire detention period. Confirm the Narcotics Commissioner certificate references the exact salt or preparation being imported, as a certificate for codeine base does not extend to codeine phosphate or other derivative salts.