Gun powder

Gun powder, propellant powders

PESO CLEARANCE

HSN 3601 00 20 (Gun powder) is subject to Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) Form LE-8 licensing under the Explosives Rules, 2008. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and import is permitted only through specified ports notified by PESO.

What this is

HSN code

3601 00 20

Chapter

36 · Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations

Primary regulator

PESO · Explosives Rules, 2008

Customs documentation

Form LE-8 licence from PESO
Specified-port declaration to CBIC
ITC (HS) policy compliance

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

PESOPESO·Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Form LE-8 licence from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation covering the category and quantity of gun powder to be imported. The licence must be current and uploaded in e-Sanchit under document code 911PE1 before the bill of entry is filed.
Explosives Rules, 2008 · Form LE-8 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 36
2
Route the consignment through one of the specified ports notified under Rule 44 of the Explosives Rules, 2008. Diversion to an unspecified port renders the consignment liable to seizure under the Explosives Act, 1884.
Rule 44 of the Explosives Rules, 2008
3
Confirm compliance with Rules 7, 14, 15 and 45 of the Explosives Rules, 2008 governing transport, storage, and handling of gun powder. Non-conformance with any of these provisions constitutes both a licence violation and a separate Explosives Rules contravention.
Rules 7, 14, 15 and 45 of the Explosives Rules, 2008

A word of counsel

The PESO licence and the notified port of import are interlocked for gun powder as they are for all imported explosives: shipping to an unspecified port voids the lawful basis of the import even when the Form LE-8 licence itself is current. Verify the licensed-port list against the bill of lading before vessel departure; a corrective diversion after dispatch attracts a separate Explosives Rules contravention, and storage at any unlicensed premises during transit is treated as unauthorised possession.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3601 00 20 require BIS certification?

No, gun powder falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers propellant powders. Import is governed by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation licensing under the Explosives Rules, 2008, with the ITC (HS) Restricted-import overlay administered by DGFT.

Which ports are notified for the import of gun powder?

The specified ports are notified under Rule 44 of the Explosives Rules, 2008; the active list is published by PESO and must be confirmed before placing the purchase order, as arrival at an unspecified port triggers seizure.

Is the e-Sanchit upload of Form LE-8 mandatory even for PGA-facilitated bills?

Yes. The Form LE-8 licence (document code 911PE1) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge regardless of whether the bill has been routed through the PGA for NOC.

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