Other

Printed greeting cards, postcards, announcement cards

CPCB CLEARANCE

HSN 4909 00 90 (Other printed greeting and announcement cards) is subject to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) registration and Extended Producer Responsibility obligations under the Plastic Waste Management Rules as amended by G.S.R. 571(E) dated 12-08-2021, G.S.R. 133(E) dated 16-02-2022, and G.S.R. 807(E) dated 30-10-2023. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Instruction 09/2022-Cus dated 22-06-2022 operationalises these controls at the bill-of-entry stage, and the import of obscene printed material is absolutely prohibited under Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18-01-1964.

What this is

HSN code

4909 00 90

Chapter

49 · Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts

Primary regulator

CPCB · Plastic Waste Management Rules (as amended, G.S.R. 571(E) / G.S.R. 133(E) / G.S.R. 807(E))

Customs documentation

CPCB portal registration from CPCB
EPR compliance declaration from CPCB
Obscenity-prohibition declaration to CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

CPCBCPCB·Central Pollution Control Board

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Register on the CPCB centralised portal as an importer of products with plastic packaging before filing the bill of entry. Rule 6 of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 mandates this registration, and Rule 7.3 imposes Extended Producer Responsibility obligations on importers of plastic-packaged goods.
Rule 6 and Rule 7.3, Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, G.S.R. 133(E) dated 16-02-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2022-Cus dated 22-06-2022
2
Confirm that no plastic packaging, wrapping film, or carry bag accompanying the consignment violates the Single Use Plastic prohibitions or the minimum-thickness requirements: carry bags must be at least 120 microns from 31-12-2022, and wrapping or packing films around invitation cards are prohibited with effect from 01-07-2022. Ensure compliance with G.S.R. 807(E) second-amendment obligations.
Rule 4(1)(c) and Rule 4(2)(b), Plastic Waste Management Rules as amended by G.S.R. 571(E) dated 12-08-2021 and G.S.R. 807(E) dated 30-10-2023 · CBIC Instruction 09/2022-Cus dated 22-06-2022
3
Verify that the consignment contains no obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation, figure, or article. Import of any such material is absolutely prohibited; consignments found to contain prohibited material are liable to confiscation and criminal prosecution.
Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18-01-1964

A word of counsel

The most frequently overlooked compliance trap on this tariff line is the Single Use Plastic prohibition on wrapping or packing films around invitation cards. Greeting-card consignments typically arrive shrink-wrapped or individually film-packaged — materials that fall squarely within Rule 4(2)(b) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules as amended from 01-07-2022. A consignment arriving in prohibited plastic packaging is liable to detention and cannot be released until compliant repackaging is demonstrated; compostable-plastic wrapping under Rule 4(3) is the only permissible carve-out.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4909 00 90 require BIS certification?

No, printed greeting cards and postcards are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import compliance is governed by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Plastic Waste Management Rules (as amended by G.S.R. 571(E), G.S.R. 133(E), and G.S.R. 807(E)) and the absolute prohibition on obscene printed material under Notification No. 01/1964-CUS.

Is CPCB portal registration required even if the greeting cards themselves are not made of plastic?

Yes, if the product is imported with plastic packaging, wrapping films, or carry bags, Rule 6 of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 requires the importer to register on the CPCB centralised portal and fulfil Extended Producer Responsibility obligations under Rule 7.3, regardless of the non-plastic nature of the cards themselves.

What is the compostable-plastic carve-out under Rule 4(3) and how does it apply to greeting-card packaging?

Rule 4(3) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules provides that the SUP prohibition under Rule 4(2)(b) does not apply to commodities made of compostable plastic; greeting-card importers using compostable-plastic wrapping must retain documentary evidence of compostability to demonstrate eligibility for this exemption at the bill-of-entry stage.

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