Other

Plain weave cotton fabric, 85% or more cotton, over 200 g/m²

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 31 90 (plain-weave woven cotton fabric, 85% or more by weight of cotton, weighing more than 200 g/m²) 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 dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

What this is

HSN code

5209 31 90

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

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

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
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from a Textile Committee (TC) or CSRTI laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous dyes. This document must be in order before the bill of entry is filed.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Verify the country of origin against the azo-dye testing exemption list. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing only; all other parameters under the PSIC requirement remain applicable for those 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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating the country-of-origin azo-dye exemption as a full waiver of the PSIC requirement. The exemption covers azo-dye testing only; the PSIC from an accredited laboratory or a valid TC/CSRTI test report confirming absence of all other prohibited hazardous dyes remains mandatory even for shipments from the nine exempt countries. Consignments arriving without a conforming PSIC are liable to detention pending documentary rectification.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 31 90 require BIS certification?

No, plain-weave woven cotton fabrics are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with a mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement under General Note 10 to certify the absence of prohibited hazardous dyes.

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

Imports from the 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; the PSIC for other prohibited dyes remains mandatory.

Is the PSIC required even when the consignment originates from an azo-dye-exempt country?

Yes. The azo-dye exemption removes only that specific test from the PSIC scope; the certificate must still confirm the absence of all other prohibited hazardous dyes, and no blanket waiver of the PSIC obligation applies to any origin country.

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