Carpets, carpeting and rugs

Tufted carpets, carpeting and rugs of other textile fibres

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5703 39 10 (Carpets, carpeting and rugs) 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 notified exempt-country list must be accompanied by an accredited laboratory test report confirming azo-dye absence, per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023.

What this is

HSN code

5703 39 10

Chapter

57 · Carpets and other textile floor coverings

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10, Chapter 57

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Azo-dye test report from exporter
Import declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate or valid test report from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country certifying the absence of prohibited azo dyes before shipment. 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
Upload the azo-dye test report or Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate in e-Sanchit and quote the relevant document reference at the bill of entry. Consignments from non-exempt origins filed without a compliant certificate are liable to detention pending 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 that the azo-dye testing exemption applies universally because a trading partner is geographically proximate to an exempt country. The exemption is country-specific and exhaustive: only the nine named countries qualify, and an invoice routed through or re-exported from an exempt country does not transfer exempt status to a non-exempt origin. A missing or invalid test report at the bill of entry results in consignment detention and accrual of demurrage until the certificate is produced.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5703 39 10 require BIS certification?

No, tufted carpets and rugs are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import compliance is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, primarily through the azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10.

Which countries are exempt from the azo-dye Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement?

EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom only, per General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023; all other origins must furnish a compliant test report.

Does the azo-dye exemption apply if goods originate in a non-exempt country but are shipped via an exempt country?

No. The exemption attaches to the country of origin, not the country of shipment; goods of non-exempt origin transshipped through an exempt country remain subject to the full azo-dye testing requirement under General Note 10.

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