Other

Wood veneer sheets and sawn wood, other species

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 4408 39 90 (wood veneer sheets and sawn wood of other species) is subject to phytosanitary clearance administered by Customs at the bill-of-entry stage, with a Phytosanitary Certificate mandatory under India's plant-quarantine regime. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) import policy governs the tariff line at the ITC (HS) level; no additional sectoral licence is required beyond the phytosanitary document overlay.

What this is

HSN code

4408 39 90

Chapter

44 · Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 44 (phytosanitary overlay at bill of entry)

Customs documentation

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

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a valid Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) from the national plant-protection authority of the exporting country before shipment. The certificate must accompany the consignment and be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
CCR mandatory document requirement · e-Sanchit document code 851000
2
At the bill of entry stage, confirm that document code 851000 has been uploaded in e-Sanchit. The proper officer will verify the upload before granting out-of-charge; consignments lacking the Phytosanitary Certificate are held pending documentary compliance.
CCR customs-verification requirement · e-Sanchit document code 851000

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is dispatching the consignment before the exporting country's plant-protection authority has issued and endorsed the Phytosanitary Certificate. The certificate is an origin-country document and cannot be obtained or rectified after shipment; an absent or defective certificate results in port detention, accruing demurrage and ground rent, until a replacement is secured through official channels — a process that can take weeks for shipments from non-adjacent countries.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4408 39 90 require BIS certification?

No, wood veneer sheets and sawn wood of other species are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a mandatory Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) as the operative clearance requirement at the bill of entry.

What document code must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Document code 851000, corresponding to the Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the national plant-protection authority of the exporting country, must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the customs proper officer can grant out-of-charge.

Does the phytosanitary requirement apply even when the wood has been planed, sanded, or end-jointed?

Yes. HSN 4408 39 90 covers sheets whether or not planed, sanded, spliced, or end-jointed, and the phytosanitary certificate requirement applies to the consignment regardless of the degree of processing, provided the thickness does not exceed 6 mm.

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