Other
Industrial and process heat exchangers (finned type, shell-and-tube, plate)
HSN 8419 89 90 (industrial and process heat exchangers) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 11329:2018 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme for finned-type heat exchangers for room air conditioners, with effect from 1 October 2023, under the Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2025. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation approval for pressure-bearing configurations applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
- 1Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 11329:2018 for finned-type heat exchangers. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.IS 11329:2018 applicable on finned type heat exchangers for room air conditioners w.e.f. 01-10-2023 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019 · Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2025
- 2Ensure each heat exchanger bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself, not on packaging alone.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2025
- 3Confirm whether the heat exchanger constitutes a pressure vessel under the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation's mandate. If so, obtain PESO import approval before shipment; exemptions for medical-oxygen cylinders and vessels under CBIC Instruction 12/2021-Cus are limited to that specific COVID-relief context.Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation import approval requirements · CBIC Instruction 12/2021-Cus dated 25-05-2021
- 4Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention, demurrage, and potential re-export or confiscation.BIS Act, 2016 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019 as amended by S.O. 695 dated 11-02-2025 and S.O. 1815(E) dated 17-04-2025
- 5Review the exemption schedule under paragraph 2 of the successive amendment notifications to the QCO (S.O. 1518(E), S.O. 4671(E), S.O. 5095(E), S.O. 5972(E), S.O. 32(E), S.O. 695, S.O. 1815(E)) to determine whether the specific heat-exchanger configuration or end-use qualifies for an exemption. Document the exemption basis on the bill of entry if relied upon.S.O. 1518(E) dated 18-05-2020 · S.O. 4671(E) dated 22-12-2020 · S.O. 5095(E) dated 08-12-2021 · S.O. 5972(E) dated 21-12-2022 · S.O. 32(E) dated 02-01-2024 · S.O. 695 dated 11-02-2025 · S.O. 1815(E) dated 17-04-2025
The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that the broad 'Other' residual description at the 8-digit level means the QCO does not apply to a specific heat-exchanger design. The BIS obligation under IS 11329:2018 is product-scope-specific — it covers finned-type heat exchangers for room air conditioners; shell-and-tube or plate configurations supplied for process or HVAC duty must still be assessed against the IS 11329:2018 scope and the successive amendment notifications before concluding an exemption applies. Importers who ship without this analysis risk detention on arrival even where a plausible exemption may exist, because the exemption must be declared and documented on the bill of entry before clearance, not argued after detention.