Unbleached

Unbleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5516 41 10 (Unbleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres) is subject to the 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. Imports from origins outside the exempted-country list must comply with DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023.

What this is

HSN code

5516 41 10

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
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. This requirement applies to all origins except the exempted countries listed in 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
Confirm whether the exporting country qualifies for the azo-dye testing exemption: EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing only. All other origins require the PSIC to be available at the bill of entry for customs verification.
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 extends to all documentary requirements. The exemption applies solely to azo-dye testing for the listed nine origins; composition, fibre-content labelling, and other applicable General Note requirements remain in force regardless of origin. Filing a bill of entry without the PSIC for a non-exempt origin risks consignment detention and demurrage pending post-entry testing.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5516 41 10 require BIS certification?

No, 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, principally the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

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 14-06-2023; all other origins must supply a PSIC from an accredited laboratory.

Does the azo-dye exemption for listed countries remove all pre-shipment inspection obligations?

No. The exemption covers azo-dye testing specifically; other composition, labelling, and General Note requirements continue to apply to consignments from exempt origins, and the PSIC for those parameters remains a bill-of-entry document.

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