Woollen rags

Used woollen rags, mutilated textile scrap

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 6310 90 10 (Woollen rags) is classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT); import without a licence is permitted only when the goods arrive in completely mutilated form conforming to the requirements specified in Customs public notices or trade notices under the policy condition for Chapter 63. A Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate certifying absence of prohibited azo dyes is additionally required under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

What this is

HSN code

6310 90 10

Chapter

63 · Other made-up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and rags

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 63

Customs documentation

Mutilation-conformance declaration to CBIC
Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from exporter
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI

Compliance steps

1
Ensure the woollen rags arrive in completely mutilated form as specified in the applicable Customs public notice or trade notice. Import without a DGFT licence is permitted only under this mutilation condition; non-conforming goods are treated as a Restricted-import violation subject to confiscation and monetary penalty.
ITC (HS) policy condition for CTH 6310 · CBIC Circular 36/2000-Cus dated 08-05-2000
2
Accompany the consignment with 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, confirming absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. Imports from EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing only.
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 shipping rags that are merely sorted or baled rather than mutilated to the standard defined in the relevant Customs public notice or trade notice — a distinction Customs officers verify physically at the port. Goods that fail the mutilation test are not eligible for the licence-free entry route, and the importer cannot retroactively cure the deficiency after arrival; the consignment is liable to detention pending re-export or confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 6310 90 10 require BIS certification?

No, woollen rags fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with the licence-free route available only for completely mutilated goods conforming to the standard notified in Customs public or trade notices.

What standard of mutilation must the woollen rags meet to qualify for licence-free import?

Mutilation must conform to the requirements specified by the applicable Customs public notice or trade notice for CTH 6310, as clarified in CBIC Circular 36/2000-Cus dated 08-05-2000; importers should obtain the current notified standard before placing purchase orders.

Is the azo-dye Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate required even if the goods are mutilated rags with no commercial textile value?

Yes. General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023 apply to all textile and textile articles, including rags, regardless of form; the exemption is origin-based, not product-condition-based.

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