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Home›HSN›Chapter 41›HSN 4101 20 20

Of buffalo, including buffalo calf

Raw whole buffalo hides and skins, unsplit

AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 4101 20 20 (raw whole hides and skins of buffalo, including buffalo calf) is subject to Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) sanitary clearance and mandatory compulsory testing under the oversight of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers an ITC (HS) policy overlay that prohibits the import of seal skin in any form under DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 dated 28-03-2018.

What this is
HSN code
4101 20 20
Chapter
41 · Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather
Primary regulator
AQCS · Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (sanitary clearance and compulsory testing regime)
Customs documentation
  • Health Certificate from AQCS
  • Veterinary Health Certificate from exporting country
  • ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Obtain a Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 853AQ1 before filing the bill of entry. This document is mandatory for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 1) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · Annexure A, Sl. No. 1 · document code 853AQ1
  2. 2
    Upload the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. Customs officers are required to verify this upload prior to granting out-of-charge; consignments without the uploaded document are held pending AQCS NOC.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · document code 6360AQ
  3. 3
    Ensure the consignment is subjected to mandatory compulsory testing through the designated laboratories as specified by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with the applicable laboratory determined by the source animal. Non-compliance with testing directions renders the consignment liable to detention.
    OM dated 20-02-2025 issued by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, File No. L-110110/17/2017-Trade (E-2957)
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is uploading only the Health Certificate (6360AQ) and overlooking the separate requirement for the Veterinary Health Certificate under document code 853AQ1 — these are two distinct documents attracting two distinct e-Sanchit upload obligations. Additionally, the compulsory-testing direction issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying via OM dated 20-02-2025 is a post-clearance-stage condition for some consignments; confirm the designated laboratory for the source animal before dispatch to avoid detention and demurrage at the port of entry.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 4101 20 20 require BIS certification?
No. Raw buffalo hides and skins fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by Animal Quarantine and Certification Services sanitary clearance with mandatory compulsory testing, and the ITC (HS) policy administered by DGFT.
Are both document codes 6360AQ and 853AQ1 required at the bill of entry for this HSN?
Yes. The Health Certificate (6360AQ) and the Veterinary Health Certificate from the exporting country (853AQ1) are separate mandatory uploads in e-Sanchit per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022; absence of either prevents out-of-charge.
Does the seal-skin prohibition under DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 affect buffalo hide imports?
The prohibition applies specifically to seal skin in any form and does not restrict genuine buffalo hide consignments; however, misclassification of seal-skin products under this CTI would attract confiscation and penalty under ITC (HS) policy enforcement.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: AQCS / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 41 · Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leatherHSNRAW HIDES AND SKINS OF BOVINE (INCLUDING BUFFALO) OR EQUINE ANIMALS (FRESH OR SALTED, DRIED, LIMED, PICKLED OR OTHERWISE PRESERVED, BUT NOT TANNED, PARCHMENT-DRESSED OR FURTHERPREPARED), WHETHER OR NOT DEHAIRED OR SPLITHSNWhole hides and skins, unsplit of a weight per skin not exceeding 8 kg. when simply dried, 10 kg. when dry-salted, or 16 kg. when fresh, wet-salted or otherwise preserved: