Bleached

Bleached single cotton yarn, coarse count (14 metric number or below)

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5205 21 20 (Bleached single cotton yarn, coarse count) is subject to ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with a mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate covering the absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Imports from countries outside the notified exempt list require azo-dye testing by an accredited laboratory of the exporting country.

What this is

HSN code

5205 21 20

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10 (azo-dye testing), Chapter 52

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from Textile Committee
ITC (HS) policy 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 or CSRTI laboratory, confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This requirement applies to all origins except EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
File the bill of entry with the azo-dye test report or PSIC uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge. Consignments from non-exempt origins arriving without a valid certificate are liable to detention pending testing, with accruing demurrage and ground rent.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023

A word of counsel

The country-of-origin exemption for azo-dye testing is narrowly defined: only the nine listed countries qualify, and a certificate of origin from an unlisted country — even a free-trade-agreement partner — does not substitute. Importers sourcing from third-country intermediaries or re-export hubs must verify the actual country of manufacture, not the country of shipment; a mismatch triggers compulsory laboratory testing at the port of entry, with consignment detention until results are available.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 5205 21 20 require BIS certification?

No, bleached coarse cotton yarn is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with the principal obligation being a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate for azo-dye absence under General Note 10.

Which countries are exempt from the azo-dye testing requirement for this tariff line?

EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom only, per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023; all other origins require a PSIC or valid test report.

Does the azo-dye exemption apply when goods are shipped through an exempt country but manufactured elsewhere?

No. The exemption attaches to the country of manufacture, not the country of shipment; goods manufactured outside the nine listed countries but transshipped through one of them remain subject to the full azo-dye testing requirement.

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