Cetyl alcohol

Cetyl alcohol, industrial fatty alcohols

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 3823 70 10 (Cetyl alcohol) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which prohibits import of any directly potable alcohol or alcohol that can be used in the manufacture of potable alcohol. Importers must demonstrate that the cetyl alcohol is a non-potable industrial fatty alcohol to satisfy the operative policy condition at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

3823 70 10

Chapter

38 · Miscellaneous chemical products

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 38 (potable-alcohol prohibition condition)

Customs documentation

ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT
End-use declaration from importer

Compliance steps

1
Confirm at the bill-of-entry stage that the cetyl alcohol being imported is a non-potable industrial fatty alcohol and cannot be used in the manufacture of potable alcohol. The ITC (HS) policy condition prohibits import of directly potable alcohol or alcohol usable for making potable alcohol, and non-compliance renders the consignment liable to confiscation.
ITC (HS) import policy condition, Chapter 38
2
Prepare and retain an end-use declaration affirming the industrial application of the cetyl alcohol — typically cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, or surfactant manufacturing — to address any customs query on the potable-alcohol policy condition at clearance.
ITC (HS) import policy condition, Chapter 38

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that cetyl alcohol, being a long-chain fatty alcohol derived from palm or coconut oil, is self-evidently outside the potable-alcohol prohibition and therefore requires no documentary support. Customs proper officers may query the classification at the bill of entry; an end-use declaration confirming industrial application is the practical safeguard against consignment detention pending verification of the policy condition.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3823 70 10 require BIS certification?

No, industrial fatty alcohols are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, specifically the prohibition condition on potable or potable-capable alcohol under Chapter 38.

Does the potable-alcohol prohibition actually apply to cetyl alcohol?

Cetyl alcohol is a C-16 fatty alcohol used in industrial and cosmetic applications and is not potable, but the ITC (HS) policy condition is framed broadly; an end-use declaration confirming the non-potable industrial purpose is recommended to forestall detention at the bill of entry.

What happens if customs raises a query on the potable-alcohol policy condition?

Without documentary evidence of industrial end-use, the consignment may be detained pending policy-condition verification, attracting demurrage and ground rent; in the absence of a satisfactory response, re-export or confiscation under the ITC (HS) policy restriction is the operative enforcement outcome.

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