Greens

Synthetic organic green colouring matter (dyes, pigments)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3204 19 87 (Greens) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, given its classification as a synthetic organic colouring matter that may enter food-contact or food-additive channels. FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, and import is restricted to designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. 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.

What this is

HSN code

3204 19 87

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
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Concurrently upload the Specimen Copy of Label under document code 0110FS; the proper officer will verify both documents are present before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023; FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
File the import declaration with mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 32 commodities as stipulated in Para 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, operative from 15 October 2023. Declarations lacking the prescribed Chapter 32 qualifiers will be held at the first check point pending amendment.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, Para 4.1 and 4.2
3
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — are corrected by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse before inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022; CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022; FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating it solely as an industrial dye and omitting the FSSAI Import Licence on the ground that the goods are not finished food. FSSAI's mandate extends to synthetic organic colouring matter in food-additive and food-contact applications; a missing FSSAI Import Licence at the bill-of-entry stage results in consignment detention and demurrage regardless of the buyer's intended end-use. The Chapter 32 mandatory qualifiers under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus are a separate, parallel obligation and are not discharged by the FSSAI licence upload.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3204 19 87 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers synthetic organic green colouring matter under this tariff line. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus Chapter 32 qualifier obligations applying as a customs-level overlay.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this HSN?

Two documents are mandatory at the bill-of-entry stage: the FSSAI Import Licence under document code 911001 and the Specimen Copy of Label under document code 0110FS; both must be present in e-Sanchit before the proper officer grants out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported synthetic organic colouring matter be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only for the specific categories of rectifiable information prescribed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — and only by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse before FSSAI inspection; the original label must not be altered.

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