SADDLERY AND HARNESS FOR ANY ANIMAL (INCLUDING TRACES, LEADS, KNEE PADS, MUZZLES, SADDLE CLOTHS, SADDLE BAGS, DOG COATS AND THE LIKE), OF ANY MATERIAL

Saddlery and harness for animals, of any material

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 4201 00 00 (Saddlery and harness for any animal) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The tariff line is broadly free to import, but DGFT imposes an absolute Prohibition on the import of seal skin in any form under the ITC (HS) policy.

What this is

HSN code

4201 00 00

Chapter

42 · Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Prohibited import policy — seal skin prohibition, Chapter 42

Customs documentation

ITC (HS) policy declaration to DGFT
Material composition certificate from exporter

Compliance steps

1
Confirm that no component or part of the consignment is derived from seal skin in any form. Any saddlery, harness, or animal article containing seal skin — whether whole, split, tanned, or dressed — is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy and is liable to confiscation at the bill-of-entry stage.
ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 42 — seal skin prohibition
2
Obtain a material composition certificate from the exporter confirming the species and material origin of all animal-derived components. Present this at the bill of entry to satisfy the customs proper officer that the prohibition condition is not triggered.
ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 42 — seal skin prohibition

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that because saddlery and harness is otherwise freely importable, no material-origin verification is required. The seal skin prohibition is absolute — there is no licence or permit route that regularises a Prohibited import — and a consignment found to contain seal skin is subject to outright confiscation and may expose the importer to criminal liability. Verification of material origin must be completed before the purchase order is placed, not at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4201 00 00 require BIS certification?

No, saddlery and harness articles are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with an absolute Prohibition on seal skin in any form as the operative restriction.

What counts as seal skin for the purposes of the ITC (HS) prohibition?

The ITC (HS) policy prohibits seal skin in any form — this encompasses raw hides, tanned leather, dressed skin, and any processed derivative used as a component in saddlery, harness, or animal accessories classified under this heading.

What happens if a consignment of dog coats or saddle bags is found to contain seal skin on examination?

A Prohibited-import finding triggers confiscation of the consignment under the Customs Act, 1962, with no regularisation route available; the importer also faces monetary penalty and potential criminal liability under the applicable provisions.

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