Muslin (including lawn mulmul and organdi) of carded or combed yarn

Printed plain-weave cotton muslin, lawn, mulmul and organdi

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5208 51 70 (Muslin of carded or combed yarn) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which requires a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy. The obligation applies to all origins except the nine exempted countries notified under DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023.

What this is

HSN code

5208 51 70

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Import Policy, General Note 10 — azo-dye and hazardous-dye compliance

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI
ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from an accredited laboratory in the exporting country, or a valid test report from the Textile Committee (TC) or the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSRTI), certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous dyes before the consignment is dispatched. This applies to all origins not covered by the azo-dye testing exemption.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Verify whether the country of origin qualifies for the azo-dye testing exemption: imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing only. The PSIC for other prohibited hazardous dyes and fabric composition parameters remains required even for these nine exempted origins.
DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023 · General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the azo-dye testing exemption for the nine listed countries as a blanket waiver of the PSIC requirement. The exemption covers azo-dye testing only; the PSIC certifying absence of all other prohibited hazardous dyes remains a hard pre-shipment requirement regardless of origin. Consignments arriving at the bill-of-entry stage without a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report are liable to detention pending documentary compliance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5208 51 70 require BIS certification?

No, woven cotton muslin fabrics are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement for hazardous-dye absence under General Note 10 of the Import Policy.

Is a PSIC from an in-country laboratory acceptable, or must it come from the exporting country?

The PSIC must be issued by an accredited laboratory of the exporting country; alternatively, a valid test report from the Textile Committee or CSRTI is accepted per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

Does the azo-dye exemption for EU and other listed countries eliminate all pre-shipment documentation for those origins?

No. The exemption applies to azo-dye testing only; a PSIC or valid test report covering other prohibited hazardous dyes remains mandatory for all origins, including the nine exempted countries.

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