Cotton thread, darning

Cotton darning thread containing 85% or more cotton

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5204 11 20 (Cotton thread, darning) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with a mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) requirement under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. All textile and textile article imports must be accompanied by a PSIC from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes.

What this is

HSN code

5204 11 20

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10 — hazardous dye prohibition

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI
Import declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from a Textile Committee (TC) or Central Silk and Rayon Textile Research Institute (CSRTI) laboratory, certifying absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This document must be available at the bill-of-entry stage.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
If the origin country is EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, or the United Kingdom, the consignment is exempt from azo-dye testing. For all other origins, the PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report is mandatory without exception; absence of the certificate at bill of entry exposes the consignment to detention.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that the azo-dye testing exemption applies to all origins because the supplier is a large established mill. The exemption is country-of-origin specific — not supplier-specific — and covers only EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. A consignment from any other origin arriving without a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report will be detained at port pending submission of the certificate, accruing demurrage and ground rent while the document is procured retrospectively.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5204 11 20 require BIS certification?

No, cotton darning thread is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement under General Note 10 certifying absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes.

Which laboratory can issue the PSIC or test report for this tariff line?

An accredited laboratory of the exporting country may issue the PSIC, or alternatively a valid test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory is accepted, per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023.

Does the azo-dye exemption apply to imports from all developed countries?

No — the exemption is restricted to nine named origins only: EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom; imports from all other countries, regardless of their development status or trading relationship, require a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report.

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