Other

Veneer sheets of meranti and similar tropical wood

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 4408 31 90 (veneer sheets of Dark red meranti, Light red meranti, Meranti bakau and other species within the subheading) is subject to a mandatory Phytosanitary Certificate requirement administered by the exporting country's plant-protection authority, verified by Indian customs at the bill-of-entry stage. The certificate (document code 851000) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted.

What this is

HSN code

4408 31 90

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
e-Sanchit upload confirmation from CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Procure a valid Phytosanitary Certificate from the competent plant-protection authority of the exporting country before shipment. The certificate (document code 851000) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit and the IRN quoted on the bill of entry; customs will not grant out-of-charge until this document is verified.
CCR mandatory-document requirement · document code 851000 · e-Sanchit upload protocol
2
At the bill-of-entry stage, confirm that the Phytosanitary Certificate covers the specific species and volume declared in the shipping documents. Discrepancies between the certificate scope and the consignment description will trigger detention and may require re-export.
CCR mandatory-document requirement · document code 851000

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is dispatching the consignment before the Phytosanitary Certificate has been formally issued and its document code 851000 uploaded in e-Sanchit. Customs officers verifying PGA-facilitated bills are instructed to withhold out-of-charge until the upload is confirmed; a missing or post-dated certificate results in consignment detention, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, with no provision for retrospective regularisation at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4408 31 90 require BIS certification?

No, veneer sheets of meranti and related tropical wood species are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. The binding import requirement is a Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) issued by the exporting country's plant-protection authority and uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.

Must the Phytosanitary Certificate be uploaded in e-Sanchit before or after filing the bill of entry?

Before out-of-charge is granted: document code 851000 must be present in e-Sanchit at the time the proper officer reviews the bill of entry; upload after filing but before out-of-charge is the operative window.

Does this tariff line carry any CITES or wildlife-trade restriction for meranti species?

The regulatory record does not record a CITES listing for the meranti species covered by HSN 4408 31 90; however, importers should confirm the CITES Appendix status of the specific species at the time of shipment, as listings are periodically updated by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species.

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