Seersucker

Seersucker woven cotton twill fabric, heavy weight

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 12 40 (Seersucker) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which mandates a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming the absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Imports from countries outside a named exempt list require azo-dye testing by an accredited laboratory of the exporting country or a valid test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory.

What this is

HSN code

5209 12 40

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 exporter
Test report from Textile Committee
ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate or valid test report from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This requirement applies to all origin countries except those exempted under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Confirm whether the country of export is on the azo-dye-testing exemption list — EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and United Kingdom only. Consignments from all other origins must present a laboratory certificate before customs out-of-charge; absence of the certificate will result in consignment detention at the port.
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 a country-of-origin exemption from azo-dye testing eliminates all PSIC requirements. The exemption covers azo-dye testing only; any additional composition or safety parameters required under General Note 10 remain applicable regardless of origin. Importers sourcing from non-exempt countries who present a test report from a domestic Indian laboratory rather than an accredited laboratory of the exporting country or a Textile Committee laboratory face rejection at the bill-of-entry stage.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 12 40 require BIS certification?

No, woven cotton seersucker fabric is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, principally through the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy.

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

EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing only, per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023; all other origins must provide a laboratory certificate.

What laboratory is acceptable for the azo-dye test report?

The test report must be from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory; a certificate from an unlisted or domestic-only laboratory is not accepted at the bill of entry.

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