Saree

Plain weave cotton sarees, heavy cotton woven fabric

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 41 20 (Saree) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under which all textile and textile article imports require a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from an accredited laboratory confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. The PSIC obligation is grounded in General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023.

What this is

HSN code

5209 41 20

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Import Policy, General Note 10 (hazardous dyes — textiles)

Customs documentation

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

Compliance steps

1
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 azo dyes before the consignment is dispatched.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Note that azo-dye testing is exempted only for imports originating from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. For all other origins, the PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report is mandatory and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to bill-of-entry out-of-charge.
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 testing exemption applies broadly because the supplier is based in an exempted country, without verifying that the goods were actually manufactured in that country. Origin and country of export are not the same; a saree manufactured in a non-exempted country but routed through an exempted jurisdiction does not qualify for the carve-out, and a missing or invalid PSIC will result in consignment detention at the port of entry.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 41 20 require BIS certification?

No, plain weave cotton sarees fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Import Policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, principally through the General Note 10 requirement for a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes.

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

Per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023, imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing; all other origins require a PSIC or valid TC/CSRTI test report.

Can a test report from a domestic laboratory substitute for the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate?

A valid test report from the Textile Committee or CSRTI is an acceptable alternative to the PSIC from an accredited foreign laboratory; both must certify the absence of prohibited hazardous dyes and must be current at the time of bill-of-entry filing.

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