Unbleached

Unbleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5516 91 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 mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement covering the absence of prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy. Imports from a defined list of exempt countries are excused from azo-dye testing per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14 June 2023.

What this is

HSN code

5516 91 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 accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from exporter
ITC (HS) policy declaration to CBIC

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 azo dyes. This requirement applies to all origins except EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
If the consignment originates from one of the nine exempt countries, document the country of origin clearly on the bill of entry to claim the azo-dye testing exemption. The exemption is origin-specific and does not extend to third-country transshipments or goods of non-exempt origin routed through exempt countries.
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 broadly once the exporting country is on the exempt list, without verifying that the goods are actually of that country's origin and not merely transshipped through it. A consignment of artificial-staple-fibre fabric of non-exempt manufacture routed via, say, a European port retains the PSIC requirement; country of export and country of origin are not interchangeable here.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5516 91 10 require BIS certification?

No, unbleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import compliance is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, principally the General Note 10 azo-dye testing requirement under DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

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

EU member states, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom only; all other origins must submit a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate or valid test report certifying absence of prohibited azo dyes.

Does the azo-dye testing exemption cover all textile parameters in the PSIC, or only the azo-dye component?

The exemption under General Note 10 and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 covers azo-dye testing only; any other parameters required under the PSIC regime for textile and textile articles remain applicable regardless of the country of origin.

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