Bleached

Bleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5516 91 20 (Bleached woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy, imports of textile articles require a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory certifying absence of prohibited azo dyes, except for imports originating from specified exempt countries.

What this is

HSN code

5516 91 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 accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from exporter

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 absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This requirement applies to all origins except the nine exempt countries listed under General Note 10.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
If the consignment originates from EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, or the United Kingdom, azo-dye testing is exempted; confirm the country of origin on the bill of entry to invoke the exemption correctly. All other origins must upload the test report in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge.
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 exemption extends to all origins by default. The exemption is strictly limited to nine named countries; importers sourcing bleached artificial-staple-fibre fabrics from any other origin who fail to present a valid Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate at the bill-of-entry stage face detention of the consignment and demurrage at port until the deficiency is remedied.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5516 91 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) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, principally the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10 of that policy.

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

EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023; all other origins must furnish a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate.

What happens if the azo-dye test report is missing at the bill of entry?

The consignment is liable to detention at the port of import until a compliant Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate or valid test report is produced; this results in demurrage and ground-rent accumulation for each day the deficiency remains unremedied.

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