Shirting fabrics

Cotton shirting fabrics mixed with man-made fibres, plain weave

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5211 51 10 (Shirting fabrics) 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 certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. Testing for azo-dye presence 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 51 10

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

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

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 or CSRTI laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous dyes before the consignment is shipped. This document must be available at the bill of entry stage.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Verify origin eligibility before relying on the azo-dye testing exemption. The exemption from testing for azo-dye presence applies only to imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; consignments from all other origins require a positive PSIC covering azo-dye absence.
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 that the azo-dye exemption for listed countries dispenses with the PSIC requirement entirely. The exemption covers azo-dye testing only; other prohibited hazardous dyes must still be certified absent by an accredited laboratory regardless of origin. Presenting only a commercial Certificate of Analysis rather than a PSIC from an accredited lab or a valid Textile Committee test report will result in consignment detention at the port of import.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5211 51 10 require BIS certification?

No, woven cotton shirting fabrics 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 hazardous-dye PSIC requirement under General Note 10 and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

Which laboratories are accepted for the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate for this tariff line?

An accredited laboratory of the exporting country is acceptable, as is a valid test report from a Textile Committee or CSRTI laboratory, per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023.

Does the azo-dye exemption for EU and other listed countries mean no PSIC is required at all?

No. The exemption is limited to azo-dye testing; a PSIC certifying absence of other prohibited hazardous dyes remains mandatory for all origins, including the listed exempt countries.

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