Crane lorries

Crane lorries, special purpose crane vehicles

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8705 10 00 (Crane lorries) is subject to the Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 of Chapter 87, with import of new vehicles permitted only through 18 designated seaports, airports, and inland container depots. Compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and its Rules — including homologation or type approval, right-hand drive, kilometre speedometer, and headlamp photometry requirements — must be demonstrated at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

8705 10 00

Chapter

87 · Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock; parts and accessories

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Conditions 1, 2 and 7 of Chapter 87

Customs documentation

Homologation certificate from MV authority
ITC (HS) policy declaration to DGFT
Port compliance declaration to CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Route the consignment only through one of the 18 designated ports: seaports including Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ennore, Cochin, Kattupalli, APM Terminals Pipavav, Krishnapatnam, Vishakhapatnam and Mundra; airports including Mumbai Air Cargo Complex, Delhi Air Cargo and Chennai Airport; or ICDs at Talegaon Pune, Tughlakabad, Faridabad and Garhi Harsaru. Diversion to any unlisted port renders the consignment liable to detention and restricted-import enforcement.
DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 dated 12-07-2018; DGFT Notification 59/2023 dated 12-02-2024
2
Verify compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and its Rules, including submission of a Homologation Certificate or type approval under ITC (HS) Condition 7, confirmation of right-hand drive configuration, kilometre speedometer fitment, and headlamp photometry conformance. These are prerequisite conditions before customs out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 of Chapter 87; Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
3
If importing a second-hand crane lorry, note that such vehicles are permitted entry only through Mumbai port, subject to ITC (HS) Condition 1 of Chapter 87. Any attempt to import a second-hand vehicle through any other designated port will be treated as a policy violation.
ITC (HS) Condition 1 of Chapter 87; DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 dated 12-07-2018

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is selecting a port based on freight economics without confirming the designated-port list under DGFT Notification 59/2023 — which governs new vehicles — and then discovering that second-hand crane lorries carry an additional restriction to Mumbai port only under ITC (HS) Condition 1. A consignment arriving at a non-designated port faces detention, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, with no provision for in-situ regularisation; the homologation certificate and MV Act compliance documentation must be assembled before shipment, not at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8705 10 00 require BIS certification?

No, crane lorries are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy, Conditions 1, 2 and 7 of Chapter 87, with Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 compliance and designated-port restrictions as the operative requirements.

Are second-hand crane lorries subject to additional port restrictions beyond the 18 designated ports for new vehicles?

Yes. Second-hand vehicles under Chapter 87 are permitted only through Mumbai port under ITC (HS) Condition 1, irrespective of the broader 18-port list applicable to new vehicle imports under DGFT Notification 59/2023.

Is type approval under ITC (HS) Condition 7 an alternative to a Homologation Certificate?

Yes. The CCR permits either a Homologation Certificate or type approval per ITC (HS) Condition 7 of Chapter 87; however, both tracks also require right-hand drive, kilometre speedometer, and headlamp photometry conformance under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rules.

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