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HomeHSNChapter 39HSN 3920 20 20

Flexible, plain

Flexible plain polypropylene film, foil or sheet

CPCB CLEARANCE · MEFCC CLEARANCE

HSN 3920 20 20 (Flexible, plain polypropylene film) is subject to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration and obligations for importers under Rule 6 and Rule 7.3 of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 (G.S.R. 133(E) dated 16-02-2022). The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) prohibits the import of specified single-use plastic items with effect from 01-07-2022, and CBIC chemical-qualifier declarations under Chapters 28, 29, 32, 38 and 39 are mandatory at the bill-of-entry stage from 01-10-2023.

What this is
HSN code
3920 20 20
Chapter
39 · Plastics and articles thereof
Primary regulator
CPCB · Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 — EPR registration and importer obligations
Customs documentation
  • EPR registration from CPCB
  • IUPAC/CAS qualifier declaration to CBIC
  • Single-use plastic compliance certificate from importer
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
CPCBCPCB·Central Pollution Control Board
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. 1
    Register as an importer on the CPCB centralised EPR portal before the first bill of entry is filed. Importers of plastic packaging products, carry bags, multi-layered packaging or plastic sheets are mandatorily required to register under Rule 6 of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, and to fulfil EPR obligations prescribed under Rule 7.3.
    Rule 6 and Rule 7.3, Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 133(E) dated 16-02-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2022-Customs dated 22-06-2022
  2. 2
    Declare the IUPAC name and CAS number of all constituent chemicals in the bill of entry at the time of filing. These additional qualifiers are mandatory for all Chapter 39 imports on bills of entry filed on or after 01-10-2023 under the Bill of Entry (Electronic Integrated Declaration and Paperless Processing) Regulations, 2018.
    CBIC Circular 15/2023-Cus dated 07-06-2023 · CBIC Circular 18/2023-Cus dated 30-06-2023
  3. 3
    Verify that the polypropylene film being imported does not fall within the single-use plastic prohibition under Rule 4(2) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules (e.g., wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets). Confirm compliance with the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2023 (G.S.R. 807(E) dated 30-10-2023) and, where the goods originate in Bangladesh, check port restrictions under DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025.
    Rule 4(2), Plastic Waste Management Rules as amended · G.S.R. 807(E) dated 30-10-2023 · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is registering on the CPCB EPR portal after filing the first bill of entry, rather than before. Registration is a pre-condition to import, not a post-clearance formality; a consignment where the importer is unregistered at the time of filing is liable to detention pending regularisation, and CPCB has no provision for retrospective EPR registration prior to the bill-of-entry date. Simultaneously, importers who secure EPR registration sometimes overlook the CBIC chemical-qualifier obligation — an incomplete IUPAC/CAS declaration triggers out-of-charge hold under Customs Circular 15/2023-Cus independently of the CPCB clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 3920 20 20 require BIS certification?
No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers this tariff line. Import is governed by the Central Pollution Control Board EPR registration regime under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 and the MoEFCC single-use plastic prohibitions, with CBIC chemical-qualifier declarations mandatory from 01-10-2023.
Is every polypropylene film under this HSN subject to the single-use plastic prohibition?
No. Rule 4(2) prohibits only specific single-use plastic items listed in the Plastic Waste Management Rules, such as wrapping films around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets; plain industrial or commercial polypropylene film not falling within those enumerated categories is not prohibited but remains subject to EPR registration and CPCB obligations.
Do Bangladesh-origin imports of this product face additional restrictions?
Yes, where applicable. DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 introduced Para 19 in the General Notes of the ITC (HS) 2022, restricting import of certain goods from Bangladesh to India to specified ports; importers should verify whether this product falls within the notified goods list and, if so, comply with the port restrictions set out in Para 1 of that notification.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: CPCB / MEFCC / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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