Saree

Woven cotton sarees, plain weave, heavy weight

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 31 20 (Saree) is subject to the 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 confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This requirement is mandated under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023.

What this is

HSN code

5209 31 20

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Import Policy, General Note 10 — hazardous dye testing

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI
Azo-dye exemption declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Before shipment, 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 dyes. This document must accompany the bill of entry.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
If the consignment originates from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, or the United Kingdom, the azo-dye testing requirement is exempt for those origins only. Document the country of origin clearly on the bill of entry to claim the exemption; no separate PSIC for azo dyes is required for these origins.
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 the azo-dye exemption applies to all exporting countries. The exemption is strictly limited to nine named countries — EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom — and consignments from any other origin without a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report are liable to detention and ground rent at the port of import until compliant documentation is produced.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 31 20 require BIS certification?

No, woven cotton sarees are 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 hazardous dye absence under General Note 10.

Is a PSIC required if the sarees are sourced from Japan or South Korea?

Azo-dye testing is exempt for imports from Japan and South Korea under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy; however, the country-of-origin must be documented on the bill of entry, and any other PSIC parameters not related to azo dyes may still apply.

What laboratory is authorised to issue the test report in lieu of a PSIC?

A valid test report from a Textile Committee (TC) or the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSRTI) laboratory is accepted as an alternative to a PSIC from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023.

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