Other

Newsprint in rolls or sheets, other grades

PIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 4801 00 90 (Newsprint, other) is subject to compulsory registration under the Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS) administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 48. The tariff line is also Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy, but import is permitted without an Import Licence subject to an Actual User Condition and registration with the Registrar of Newspapers of India, per Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 48.

What this is

HSN code

4801 00 90

Chapter

48 · Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp

Primary regulator

PIMS · ITC (HS) 2022 compulsory registration, Chapter 48 (DGFT Notification 11/2015-2020)

Customs documentation

PIMS Registration Number from DGFT
Certificate of Registration from Registrar of Newspapers
Actual User declaration to CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

PIMSPIMS·Paper Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Register on the PIMS portal at https://imports.gov.in no earlier than 75 days and no later than 5 days before the expected date of arrival. Pay the registration fee of ₹500 and obtain the automatic Registration Number, which is valid for 75 days. Multiple bills of entry are permitted against a single Registration Number within the validity period for the permitted quantity.
DGFT Notification 11/2015-2020 dated 25-05-2022 · ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 48 PIMS policy condition
2
Enter the PIMS Registration Number and its expiry date in the bill of entry to enable customs clearance. Upload the Certificate of Registration (document code 101RN1) issued by the Registrar of Newspapers of India in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge; consignments routed through PGA-facilitated bills must have this document verified by the proper officer.
Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 48, ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 11/2015-2020 dated 25-05-2022
3
For imports into an SEZ, FTWZ, or EOU, obtain PIMS registration at the point of entry into the zone. If subsequent processing in the SEZ/FTWZ/EOU results in a change of HS code at the 8-digit level and the processed item falls under a PIMS-covered tariff line, the DTA importer must separately register under PIMS at the time of customs clearance to the DTA.
DGFT Policy Circular 41/2015-2020 dated 05-07-2022 · DGFT Policy Circular 45/2015-20 dated 23-01-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is misreading the 75-day registration window: the PIMS Registration Number becomes invalid both if applied for earlier than 75 days before expected arrival and if allowed to lapse beyond its 75-day validity before all associated bills of entry are filed. A Registration Number that has expired at the time the bill of entry is presented is treated as absent, resulting in consignment detention and demurrage while a fresh registration is obtained — there is no retrospective cure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4801 00 90 require BIS certification?

No, newsprint falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by compulsory PIMS registration under the ITC (HS) 2022 policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with an Actual User Condition and Registrar of Newspapers of India registration overlay.

Is an Import Licence required given the Restricted status of this tariff line?

No Import Licence is required provided the importer satisfies the Actual User Condition and holds a valid Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Newspapers of India, per Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 48 of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Does a DTA unit clearing paper from an SEZ need a separate PIMS registration?

Only if processing in the SEZ, FTWZ, or EOU has changed the HS code at the 8-digit level and the processed item falls under a PIMS-covered tariff line; where no such processing has occurred, no additional PIMS registration is required at the DTA clearance stage, per DGFT Policy Circular 41/2015-2020.

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