Bleached

Bleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5516 21 20 (Bleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres) is subject to ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement covering the absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Testing for azo-dye presence is exempted for imports from specified countries only, per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023.

What this is

HSN code

5516 21 20

Chapter

55 · Man-made staple fibres

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10, Chapter 55

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from exporter
ITC (HS) policy declaration 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 azo dyes before the consignment is shipped to India.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Confirm the country of origin before filing the bill of entry: azo-dye testing is exempted only for imports from EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and United Kingdom. Imports from all other origins must accompany a valid azo-dye test certificate at customs clearance.
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 universally because the exporting country is a major textile supplier. The exemption is confined to the nine listed jurisdictions, and a consignment from any other origin arriving without a valid azo-dye test certificate is liable to detention at the port of import pending compliance, with demurrage and ground rent accruing throughout.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5516 21 20 require BIS certification?

No, bleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with an azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 of that policy.

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

EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom only, per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023; all other origins must furnish a valid test certificate.

Does the azo-dye testing exemption for listed countries remove all Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirements?

No. The exemption applies only to azo-dye testing; other composition and quality parameters under the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate regime continue to apply even for imports from the nine exempt origins.

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