Coniferous

Coniferous wooden railway or tramway sleepers (crossties)

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 4406 91 00 (Coniferous railway or tramway sleepers of wood) is subject to mandatory phytosanitary clearance under India's plant-quarantine regime, with a Phytosanitary Certificate required at the bill-of-entry stage before out-of-charge is granted. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade administers the overarching import policy for this tariff line.

What this is

HSN code

4406 91 00

Chapter

44 · Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 44 (phytosanitary overlay)

Customs documentation

Phytosanitary Certificate from exporting country authority
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate (PSC) issued by the competent plant-protection authority of the exporting country before shipment. The PSC (document code 851000) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry; out-of-charge will not be granted until the upload is verified.
CCR mandatory document requirement · e-Sanchit document code 851000
2
Ensure the bill of entry reflects compliance with the ITC (HS) import policy for Chapter 44. Where the bill is PGA-facilitated but has not been routed through the PGA for NOC, the proper officer is required to verify the e-Sanchit upload of the PSC before out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 44 · CUSDATA CCR for HSN 4406 91 00

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is dispatching the consignment before the Phytosanitary Certificate is issued by the exporting country's plant-protection authority, then attempting to upload a retrospective or substitute document at the port. Customs proper officers are instructed to verify the e-Sanchit upload of document code 851000 as a pre-condition of out-of-charge; a missing or deficient PSC results in consignment detention and accumulating demurrage until a compliant certificate is presented.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4406 91 00 require BIS certification?

No, coniferous wooden railway sleepers are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. The operative import requirement is the mandatory Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) to be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, under the plant-quarantine overlay applicable to wood imports.

Which authority issues the Phytosanitary Certificate and what must it cover?

The Phytosanitary Certificate must be issued by the national plant-protection organisation of the exporting country; it must certify that the coniferous wood sleepers are free from quarantine pests and compliant with India's plant-quarantine import conditions.

What happens if the Phytosanitary Certificate is not uploaded before the bill of entry is assessed?

Customs will withhold out-of-charge until document code 851000 is uploaded and verified in e-Sanchit, resulting in port detention, demurrage, and ground-rent liability until the deficiency is remedied.

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