Corks and stoppers

Natural cork corks and stoppers

NO PGA · STANDARD CUSTOMS PROCEDURE

HSN 4503 10 00 (Corks and stoppers of natural cork) is not covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order and carries no Partner Government Agency clearance requirement at the tariff-line level. Import follows the standard customs procedure: Importer-Exporter Code (IEC), bill of entry, commercial invoice, packing list. Other articles of natural cork under Chapter 45, or cork-based products that incorporate additional materials, may be classified under sibling tariff lines with their own compliance considerations.

No partner government agency notification covers this tariff line.

A word of counsel

The absence of compliance at this tariff line does not extend to the broader chapter: agglomerated cork products, insulation blocks, and cork discs each carry separate tariff-line treatment within Chapter 45. Where a consignment includes corks intended for food or pharmaceutical contact packaging, customs may scrutinise end-use declarations; re-classification on examination triggers retrospective compliance and detention pending resolution. Confirm the product specification — natural versus agglomerated cork, intended contact use — before relying on the absence of compliance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4503 10 00 require any pre-import registration?

A valid Importer-Exporter Code is required for any commercial import; no product-specific registration applies to this tariff line.

What changes if the cork product is agglomerated rather than natural cork?

Agglomerated cork articles are classified separately within Chapter 45 and may attract distinct tariff treatment; re-classification by customs to the more specific tariff line triggers retrospective compliance.

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