Unbleached

Unbleached woven fabrics of flax

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5309 21 10 (Unbleached woven fabrics of flax) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with a mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) covering the absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Imports from origins outside the exempted-country list require azo-dye testing by an accredited laboratory of the exporting country.

What this is

HSN code

5309 21 10

Chapter

53 · Other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10, Chapter 53

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from exporter
Azo-dye test report from accredited laboratory
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes, unless the consignment originates from an exempted country. This document must accompany the bill of entry as required under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Confirm the country of origin against the exempted-country list before placing the purchase order. Azo-dye testing is waived only for imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; all other origins require the full PSIC at the bill-of-entry stage.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming the azo-dye exemption applies because a supplier is in a broadly recognised trading partner country not on the exempted list. The exemption is exhaustive — only the nine named origins qualify; a consignment from any unlisted country arriving without a PSIC will be detained at the port of entry pending documentary compliance, attracting demurrage and ground rent.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5309 21 10 require BIS certification?

No, unbleached woven fabrics of flax 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, specifically the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 of that policy.

Which countries are exempt from the azo-dye PSIC requirement for this HSN?

Per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 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 submit a PSIC from an accredited laboratory.

Does the azo-dye exemption for listed countries remove all PSIC obligations at the bill of entry?

The exemption applies specifically to azo-dye testing; importers should verify whether any other composition or labelling documentation is required under the applicable ITC (HS) general notes, as the exemption does not override other policy conditions.

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