Lamb skins

Pickled lamb skins, raw sheep or lamb skins

AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 4102 21 20 (Pickled lamb skins) is subject to Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) sanitary clearance under the Live Stock Importation Act, with a Health Certificate and Veterinary Health Certificate mandatory at the bill of entry. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) classifies this tariff line under ITC (HS) import policy with a categorical prohibition on seal skin in any form. Compulsory testing through designated laboratories, as mandated by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, applies depending on the source animal.

What this is

HSN code

4102 21 20

Chapter

41 · Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather

Primary regulator

AQCS · Live Stock Importation Act (sanitary clearance, health certification)

Customs documentation

Health Certificate from AQCS
Veterinary Health Certificate from exporting country
Compulsory testing clearance from designated laboratory

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
Ensure the consignment is accompanied by a Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) issued by the exporting country's competent authority, uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The Veterinary Health Certificate (document code 853AQ1) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit for 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 · document codes 6360AQ and 853AQ1
2
Submit the consignment for compulsory testing at a designated laboratory as per the Office Memorandum dated 20-02-2025 issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (File No. L-110110/17/2017-Trade). The applicable laboratory is determined by the source animal; testing must be completed before out-of-charge.
OM dated 20-02-2025, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, File No. L-110110/17/2017-Trade (E-2957)
3
Verify at the purchase-order stage that the consignment contains no seal skin in any form. Import of seal skin is categorically prohibited under ITC (HS) policy; a consignment found to contain seal skin is liable to confiscation under DGFT enforcement.
DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 dated 28-03-2018

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the two distinct AQCS document codes: the Health Certificate (6360AQ) and the Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1) are separate instruments with separate upload obligations in e-Sanchit. Uploading only one while omitting the other triggers a PGA-facilitated-bill verification hold, and the customs proper officer will not issue out-of-charge until both codes appear in e-Sanchit. Confirm the designated-laboratory assignment under the February 2025 OM before vessel departure, as testing delays at the port attract demurrage and ground rent.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 4102 21 20 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers pickled lamb skins or raw sheep and lamb skins. Import is governed by Animal Quarantine and Certification Services sanitary clearance requirements, with ITC (HS) policy controls administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, including an absolute prohibition on seal skin in any form.

Are both document codes 6360AQ and 853AQ1 required to be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Yes. The Health Certificate (6360AQ) must be uploaded for all AQCS-governed consignments, and the Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1) is additionally required for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 1) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022, which includes this tariff item.

Does the prohibition on seal skin apply only to finished products or also to raw and pickled skins?

The prohibition under DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 covers seal skin in any form, which expressly includes raw, pickled, and otherwise preserved skins; a consignment of pickled seal skins under this tariff line is subject to confiscation regardless of state of preservation.

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