Other

Other herbicides, anti-sprouting products and plant-growth regulators

CDSCO CLEARANCE · CIB&RC CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 3808 93 99 (Other herbicides, anti-sprouting products and plant-growth regulators) is subject to mandatory registration under Section 9 of the Insecticides Act, 1968, administered by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC), with import permitted only through specified ports under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971. Where a product falls within the medical-devices notified list, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) registration under G.S.R. 102(E) dated 11-02-2020 applies as a concurrent requirement. Import is Free under DGFT Notification 44/2025-26 dated 15-10-2025, subject to policy condition 7 of Chapter 29 and a Minimum Import Price condition on glufosinate.

What this is

HSN code

3808 93 99

Chapter

38 · Miscellaneous chemical products

Primary regulator

CIB&RC · Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971

Customs documentation

Registration certificate from CIB&RC
Import permit from CIB&RC
Chapter 29 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

CDSCOCDSCO·Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation

CIB&RCCIB&RC·Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee

MEFCCMEFCC·Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

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

Compliance steps

1
Obtain mandatory CIB&RC registration under Section 9 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 for each herbicide, anti-sprouting agent or plant-growth regulator to be imported. Where the product is imported for a non-insecticidal purpose, secure an import permit from the Registration Committee under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation instead; the registration or permit will specify the permitted source country, and import from any other source is prohibited.
Section 9 of the Insecticides Act, 1968; Insecticides Rules, 1971
2
Route the consignment through a port notified under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971. Verify the CDSCO registration requirement if the product is listed in G.S.R. 102(E) dated 11-02-2020 as a medical device, and ensure all mandatory Chapter 29/3808 additional qualifiers required by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 (paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15-10-2023) are declared in the import entry.
Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971; G.S.R. 102(E) dated 11-02-2020; CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023
3
Confirm the active ingredient is not among the substances prohibited under S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018 — including benomyl, carbaryl, diazinon, fenarimol, fenthion, linuron, methyl parathion, thiometon, tridemorph, and (from 01-01-2019) trifluralin, alachlor, dichlorvos, phorate, phosphamidon, triazophos and trichlorfon. For glufosinate imports, confirm CIF value is at or above ₹1,289 per kg; the MIP condition is operative until 23-01-2026 under DGFT Notification 54/2024-25 dated 24-01-2025 and S.O. 444(E) dated 24-01-2025.
S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018; DGFT Notification 54/2024-25 dated 24-01-2025; S.O. 444(E) dated 24-01-2025

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry without the Chapter 29/CTH 3808 additional qualifiers mandated by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus — an omission that stalls customs out-of-charge regardless of whether the CIB&RC registration is current. The qualifiers must be present in the import declaration itself, not merely in accompanying documents; a missing qualifier triggers reassessment and potential detention, distinct from any PGA-NOC deficiency. Importers of glufosinate should also note that the MIP of ₹1,289 per kg applies at CIF value, not at landed cost, and an MIP-deficient consignment is treated as Restricted-import enforcement under the ITC (HS) policy.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 3808 93 99 require BIS certification?

No, herbicides and plant-growth regulators under this residual tariff line fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee under the Insecticides Act, 1968, with a concurrent CDSCO overlay where the product is notified as a medical device under G.S.R. 102(E) dated 11-02-2020.

Which active ingredients are outright prohibited from import under this CTI?

S.O. 3951(E) dated 08-08-2018 prohibits import of benomyl, carbaryl, diazinon, fenarimol, fenthion, linuron, methyl parathion, thiometon, tridemorph and tridemorph from the date of the order, and extends prohibition to trifluralin (except for use in wheat), alachlor, dichlorvos, phorate, phosphamidon, triazophos and trichlorfon from 01-01-2019.

Does the MIP condition on glufosinate apply to all importers?

The MIP of ₹1,289 per kg CIF is operative until 23-01-2026 under DGFT Notification 54/2024-25 and S.O. 444(E) dated 24-01-2025; imports with CIF at or above this threshold are Free, while CIF below ₹1,289 per kg is Restricted.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: CDSCO / CIB&RC / MEFCC / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.