Canvas (including duck) of carded or combed yarn

Bleached cotton canvas fabric mixed with man-made fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5211 20 20 (Canvas including duck, of carded or combed yarn) is subject to ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), requiring a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Testing for azo dyes is exempted only for imports originating from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

What this is

HSN code

5211 20 20

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 accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from Textile Committee
Origin declaration from exporter

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from the Textile Committee or CSRTI, certifying absence of prohibited azo dyes. This requirement applies to all origins except the nine exempt countries listed 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
If the consignment originates from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, or the United Kingdom, document the origin clearly on the bill of entry to claim the azo-dye testing exemption. The exemption is origin-specific and does not extend to goods merely transshipped through exempt-country ports.
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 based on the supplier's nationality or the country of export rather than the verified country of origin. Fabric manufactured in a non-exempt country and consolidated or transshipped through an exempt country does not qualify; the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate must reflect the actual country of manufacture, and a mismatch discovered at customs results in consignment detention pending a compliant test report.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5211 20 20 require BIS certification?

No, bleached cotton canvas fabric mixed with man-made fibres is 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 Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement for azo-dye absence under General Note 10.

Which countries are exempt from the azo-dye testing requirement 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 an azo-dye test certificate from an accredited laboratory.

Does the azo-dye exemption cover all testing parameters required under the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate?

No. The exemption is limited to azo-dye testing; a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate for other composition and quality parameters under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy remains required even for consignments from exempt-country origins.

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