Coating (including suiting)

Woven cotton coating and suiting fabric, plain weave

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5208 32 70 (Coating including suiting) is subject to ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which requires a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. The PSIC must certify the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes, with a country-specific exemption applicable to imports from certain origins.

What this is

HSN code

5208 32 70

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10 (azo-dye PSIC requirement)

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI
ITC (HS) policy compliance 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 Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSRTI) laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes before shipment.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Verify the origin of the consignment before relying on the azo-dye testing exemption. The exemption applies only to imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; consignments from all other origins require a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report without exception.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that the azo-dye testing exemption extends to any country perceived as a quality-compliant origin. The exemption is an exhaustive nine-jurisdiction list — EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom — and imports from any country outside that list without a PSIC or valid TC/CSRTI test report will be detained at the port of entry pending documentation, attracting demurrage and potential confiscation for persistent non-compliance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5208 32 70 require BIS certification?

No, woven cotton coating and suiting fabric 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 mandatory PSIC for azo-dye absence under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

Is a PSIC required if the fabric is imported from the European Union?

No, imports from the EU are exempt from azo-dye testing under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023; however, all other compositional and regulatory documentation requirements at the bill of entry continue to apply.

Can a test report from a domestic laboratory substitute for the PSIC at the bill of entry?

Only a test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory is an accepted substitute for the PSIC from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country; reports from other domestic laboratories are not recognised under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

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