Made wholly in black and white

Exposed developed black-and-white cinematographic film

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 3706 90 41 (exposed and developed cinematographic film, made wholly in black and white) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted under policy condition 1 of Chapter 37. No additional sectoral PGA clearance applies at the bill-of-entry stage beyond DGFT policy compliance.

What this is

HSN code

3706 90 41

Chapter

37 · Photographic or cinematographic goods

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy condition 1, Chapter 37

Customs documentation

Import policy declaration from DGFT
Chapter 37 compliance from CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Verify that the import satisfies ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 37 before filing the bill of entry. Non-compliance with the applicable policy condition renders the consignment liable to detention and Restricted-import enforcement.
ITC (HS) import policy condition 1, Chapter 37
2
File the bill of entry with a declaration confirming adherence to the Chapter 37 policy condition. Retain documentary evidence of the film's exposed-and-developed status and black-and-white character, as these are the criteria that determine classification under this specific 8-digit CTI.
ITC (HS) import policy condition 1, Chapter 37

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is misclassifying colour or mixed-format exposed film under this CTI and inadvertently invoking a policy condition that does not match the actual goods — triggering misdeclaration proceedings under the Customs Act, 1962. Confirm before shipment that the film is made wholly in black and white; part-colour or sound-only reels fall under separate CTIs within heading 3706, each carrying its own policy status.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3706 90 41 require BIS certification?

No, exposed and developed cinematographic film is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed solely by the ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 37 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

What does policy condition 1 of Chapter 37 require at the bill of entry?

The regulatory record records import as permitted subject to ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 37; the specific documentary or procedural requirement of that condition should be confirmed against the current ITC (HS) Schedule published by DGFT, as conditions may be amended by notification.

Does the black-and-white restriction apply to film incorporating a sound track?

Yes. HSN 3706 90 41 covers film made wholly in black and white whether or not it incorporates a sound track; film not meeting the wholly-black-and-white criterion is classified under a different CTI within heading 3706 and must be assessed separately.

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