Other

Natural rubber, other forms (balata, guayule, similar natural gums)

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 4001 29 90 (Other natural rubber in primary forms or plates, sheets or strip) is subject to a mandatory No-Objection Certificate from the Rubber Board of India under S.O. 1205(E) dated 12-12-2001, with the Rubber Board acting as the designated quality-compliance agency ensuring conformance to BIS 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 12-06-2018, except for consignments imported under Advance Authorisation.

What this is

HSN code

4001 29 90

Chapter

40 · Rubber and articles thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 40; Rubber Board NOC under S.O. 1205(E)

Customs documentation

NOC from Rubber Board of India
Import Licence from DGFT
Port-restriction declaration to 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 is the designated agency to verify that imported natural rubber conforms to BIS specifications, and out-of-charge will not be granted without this NOC uploaded in e-Sanchit.
S.O. 1205(E) dated 12-12-2001
2
Route the consignment exclusively through the sea ports of Chennai or Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port). The port restriction is notified by DGFT and consignments arriving at any other port are liable to detention; the restriction is waived only for imports under a valid Advance Authorisation.
DGFT Notification No. 11/2015-20 dated 12-06-2018

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming the Advance Authorisation port-restriction waiver extends to the Rubber Board NOC requirement — it does not. The port waiver and the NOC are independent obligations: an AA-holder importing through an unlisted port is permitted, but every consignment of imported natural rubber, regardless of the authorisation type, requires Rubber Board clearance before out-of-charge. Failing to pre-arrange the NOC causes consignment detention and accumulating demurrage at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4001 29 90 require BIS certification?

No, this tariff line carries no BIS Quality Control Order requirement. The Rubber Board of India is the designated compliance agency under S.O. 1205(E) dated 12-12-2001, and it verifies conformance to BIS specifications as part of its own NOC process — the importer obtains a Rubber Board NOC, not a BIS certificate.

Does the Advance Authorisation exemption also waive the Rubber Board NOC?

No. The Advance Authorisation exemption under DGFT Notification No. 11/2015-20 covers only the designated sea-port restriction; the mandatory Rubber Board NOC for quality conformance applies to all imported natural rubber consignments regardless of the authorisation type.

What happens if a consignment arrives at a port other than Chennai or Nhava Sheva without Advance Authorisation?

The consignment is liable to detention at the port of arrival; the DGFT port restriction under Notification No. 11/2015-20 renders clearance at any other sea port unauthorised, and the importer faces re-export or confiscation proceedings under the Customs Act, 1962.

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