Browns

Synthetic organic brown colouring matter, dyes

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3204 19 88 (Browns) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as synthetic organic colouring matter intended for or capable of food-contact use. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) import-policy controls and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory Chapter 32 qualifier declarations apply as additional clearance requirements at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

3204 19 88

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. The proper officer will verify both uploads prior to granting out-of-charge; consignments lacking either document are detained.
FSSAI Import Licence doc code 911001 · Specimen Copy of Label doc code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 in modification to Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
2
Include mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 32 commodities, as stipulated in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. This requirement is operative with effect from 15 October 2023 and applies to all CTIs under Chapters 28, 29, 32, 39 and CTH 3808.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, Paras 4.1 and 4.2
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies that are rectifiable under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses before visual inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · 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 treating FSSAI clearance as the sole gate and overlooking the Chapter 32 mandatory qualifier declaration required under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus with effect from 15 October 2023. A bill of entry filed without the prescribed qualifiers in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 is treated as a deficient declaration subject to CBIC-level intervention, independently of whether the FSSAI documents are in order. Rectifiable labelling relief at the bonded warehouse applies only to specified labelling deficiencies — it does not cure a missing FSSAI licence or an absent qualifier declaration.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3204 19 88 require BIS certification?

No, synthetic organic brown colouring matter falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with CBIC Chapter 32 qualifier obligations and DGFT import-policy controls applying concurrently.

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

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling defects be corrected after the consignment arrives at the port?

Rectifiable labelling information — including per-serve dietary contribution percentages and expiry date presentation — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer, as permitted under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022, provided the original label information is not altered.

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