Hevea

Natural rubber of Hevea origin, primary forms or sheets

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 4001 29 10 (Hevea natural rubber) is subject to a mandatory No Objection Certificate from the Rubber Board of India under S.O. 1205(E) dated 12 December 2001, which designates the Rubber Board as the agency responsible for verifying conformance of imported natural rubber to applicable specifications. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) restricts import to the sea ports of Chennai and Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port) under DGFT Notification No. 11/2015-20 dated 12 June 2018, subject to a carve-out for Advance Authorisation holders.

What this is

HSN code

4001 29 10

Chapter

40 · Rubber and articles thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) port-restricted import policy with Rubber Board NOC, Chapter 40

Customs documentation

NOC from Rubber Board of India
Import declaration from DGFT
Port-restriction compliance from CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a No Objection Certificate from the Rubber Board of India before the bill of entry is filed. The Rubber Board, as the designated agency under S.O. 1205(E) dated 12 December 2001, verifies that the imported natural rubber consignment conforms to BIS specifications; customs out-of-charge cannot be granted without this NOC uploaded in e-Sanchit.
S.O. 1205(E) dated 12-12-2001 · Rubber Board of India (designated agency)
2
Route the consignment exclusively through the sea ports of Chennai or Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port). Diversion to any other port renders the import non-compliant with the port-restriction condition and exposes the consignment to detention by the customs proper officer.
DGFT Notification No. 11/2015-20 dated 12-06-2018

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to secure the Rubber Board NOC before vessel arrival at port — the Rubber Board's conformance verification is a pre-clearance step, not a post-arrival formality, and detention pending NOC issuance accrues demurrage and ground rent rapidly at Chennai and Nhava Sheva. Importers operating under Advance Authorisation should document the AA licence at filing to invoke the port-restriction exemption; absent that documentation, customs will apply the two-port restriction regardless of the underlying AA status.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4001 29 10 require BIS certification?

No, there is no BIS Quality Control Order covering this tariff line; BIS specifications are the technical benchmark the Rubber Board uses internally when issuing import NOCs, not a separate importer obligation. Import clearance is governed by the Rubber Board of India's mandatory NOC regime under S.O. 1205(E) dated 12 December 2001 and the DGFT port-restriction policy.

Does the two-port restriction apply to imports under Advance Authorisation?

No. Per DGFT Notification No. 11/2015-20 dated 12 June 2018, the port restriction to Chennai and Nhava Sheva is not applicable to imports made under an Advance Authorisation; the importer must, however, present the valid Advance Authorisation at the bill-of-entry stage to claim the exemption.

Is the Rubber Board NOC required even when natural rubber is imported as a raw material input for a manufacturing process?

Yes. The CCR mandates a Rubber Board NOC for clearance of all imported natural rubber consignments before out-of-charge, without exception for end-use; the NOC must be secured and uploaded before the customs proper officer grants release.

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