Flannellete

Plain weave cotton flannelette, heavy woven cotton fabric

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 21 70 (Flannelette) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement covering absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10. Imports from countries outside the designated exempt list require azo-dye testing by an accredited laboratory of the exporting country.

What this is

HSN code

5209 21 70

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10, Chapter 52

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited laboratory
Azo-dye test report from exporter
Import declaration to DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country certifying absence of prohibited azo dyes, unless the consignment originates from a designated exempt country. File the certificate with the bill of entry at customs.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Confirm the country of origin before shipment: azo-dye testing is exempted only for imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. All other origins require a valid azo-dye test report at the bill of entry stage.
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 the azo-dye exemption applies to all origins simply because the PSIC requirement is textile-wide. The exemption is country-specific and exhaustive: a consignment from any country not on the nine-country list that arrives without a valid azo-dye test report will be detained at port pending compliance, accruing demurrage and ground rent with no rectification pathway at the bill of entry stage.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 21 70 require BIS certification?

No, plain weave cotton flannelette 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 for azo-dye absence under General Note 10.

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

Per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023, the exemption applies only to imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; all other origins must furnish a valid azo-dye test report.

Does the azo-dye exemption for listed countries remove the PSIC requirement entirely?

The exemption covers azo-dye testing only; other composition and safety parameters under the General Note 10 PSIC regime continue to apply regardless of country of origin.

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