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HomeHSNChapter 55HSN 5513 12 20

Bleached

Bleached polyester-cotton twill woven fabrics

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5513 12 20 (Bleached polyester-cotton twill fabric) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which mandates a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming the absence of prohibited azo dyes for most origins. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

What this is
HSN code
5513 12 20
Chapter
55 · Man-made staple fibres
Primary regulator
DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10 (azo-dye testing), Chapter 55
Customs documentation
  • Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from exporter
  • Azo-dye test report from accredited laboratory
  • ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT
Compliance steps
  1. 1
    For all origins other than the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country confirming the absence of prohibited azo dyes 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. 2
    Verify that the exporting country is listed among the nine exempt origins before waiving the azo-dye PSIC. If the origin is not on the exempt list, absence of the test certificate at the bill of entry stage will result in consignment detention pending compliance.
    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 misreading the azo-dye exemption as applying to all origins because the supplier is an EU-headquartered brand — it applies only to the country of manufacture, not the country of the exporter's registered office. Fabric woven in a non-exempt country and shipped via an EU trading house remains subject to the PSIC requirement; presenting a certificate of origin from a non-exempt country without the accompanying test report will trigger detention at port.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 5513 12 20 require BIS certification?
No, bleached polyester-cotton twill woven fabrics fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, principally the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.
Is the azo-dye PSIC exemption based on the country of export or the country of manufacture?
The exemption under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy applies to the country of origin of the goods, not the country of the exporting entity; fabric manufactured in a non-exempt country requires the PSIC regardless of the exporter's location.
What happens if the PSIC is unavailable at the time of filing the bill of entry?
Absence of the required Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate at the bill of entry stage for a non-exempt origin will result in consignment detention at the port of import until the document is furnished, with demurrage and ground rent accruing in the interim.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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