Indian cotton of staple lengths 20.5 mm (25/32") and below (e.g. oomras, yellow picking, Assam comillas)
Indian cotton bales of staple length 20.5 mm and below
HSN 5201 00 12 (Indian cotton of staple lengths 20.5 mm and below) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 12171:2019 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 27 August 2026, by virtue of the Cotton Bales (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023. Directorate General of Foreign Trade textile-import policy controls, including Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirements, apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed supplier holding a current licence against IS 12171:2019 for cotton bales. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing or ginning facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.Cotton Bales (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023 · S.O. 948(E) dated 28-02-2023 · S.O. 3557(E) dated 07-08-2023 · S.O. 3830(E) dated 28-08-2023
- 2Ensure each bale bears the ISI standard mark and the supplier's CM/L licence number under Scheme-II of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the bale identification tag or packaging, as required under IS 12171:2019.Scheme-II of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 2996(E) dated 03-07-2025
- 3Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from TC or CSRTI, certifying absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo dye testing.General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
- 4Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the PSIC reference on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention with attendant demurrage and ground rent.Cotton Bales (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
- 5If the consignment originates in Bangladesh, verify whether the goods fall within the port restrictions under paragraph 19 of the general notes to the import policy introduced by DGFT Notification 7/25-26. Consignments outside the documented carve-outs under paragraphs 2 and 3 are restricted to specified ports.DGFT Notification 7/25-26 dated 17-05-2025 · General Note on import policy under ITC (HS) 2022
The single most common error on this tariff line is treating 27 August 2026 as a distant deadline rather than the date by which every element of BIS compliance — CM/L licence, marking, and PSIC — must already be operational for consignments arriving on or after that date. Importers who defer supplier CM/L verification until the enforcement date find their consignments detained at port because BIS licence applications and factory inspections for ginning facilities can take several months. Begin supplier qualification and licence verification well before the enforcement date to avoid detention and re-export of non-conforming bales.