Oranges

Synthetic organic colouring matter, orange dyes and pigments

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3204 19 85 (Oranges — synthetic organic colouring matter) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, where the colourant is destined for food use. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Circular 23/2023-Cus mandates additional Chapter 32 qualifiers in the import declaration with effect from 15 October 2023, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy overlay applies at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

3204 19 85

Chapter

32 · Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments, paints and varnishes

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Chapter 32 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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

Compliance steps

1
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until the proper officer confirms both documents are present in e-Sanchit, even for PGA-facilitated bills.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · Specimen Copy of Label document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
2
Include the mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for commodities under Chapter 32 as stipulated in Para 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. This requirement is operative from 15 October 2023 and applies to all bills of entry for CTHs under Chapters 28, 29, 32, 39 and CTH 3808.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, Para 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15-10-2023
3
Ensure the consignment enters through a port compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 governing food-import entry points. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve dietary contribution data and expiry-date presentation — may be corrected at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before the authorised officer's inspection.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/APEX/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is overlooking the Chapter 32 mandatory-qualifiers requirement under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. Importers who comply fully with the FSSAI food-colourant regime but omit the Chapter 32 declaration qualifiers face consignment detention at the bill-of-entry stage — the CBIC overlay is independent of the FSSAI clearance and is verified separately by the proper officer. Confirm both the e-Sanchit document uploads and the declaration qualifiers are in order before vessel arrival.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3204 19 85 require BIS certification?

No, synthetic organic colouring matter classified under HSN 3204 19 85 is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus Chapter 32 qualifiers requirement and DGFT ITC (HS) policy controls.

Are the Chapter 32 declaration qualifiers under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus mandatory for all importers?

Yes. Para 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30 September 2023 require mandatory additional qualifiers in import declarations for all commodities under Chapters 28, 29, 32, 39 and CTH 3808, with effect from 15 October 2023; no importer-category exemption is provided.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported food-grade colourant consignments be rectified at port?

Yes, specified labelling deficiencies — including per-serve dietary contribution data and expiry-date presentation — may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18 November 2022, but only before the authorised officer's visual inspection.

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