Other

Worked animal carving material and articles (ivory, tortoise-shell, coral)

WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 9601 90 90 (worked animal carving material and articles) is subject to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) clearance under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, with a mandatory CITES Certificate required at the bill of entry. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and consignments not accompanied by a valid CITES Certificate are liable to detention and seizure.

What this is

HSN code

9601 90 90

Chapter

96 · Miscellaneous manufactured articles

Primary regulator

WCCB · Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (CITES-controlled species regime)

Customs documentation

CITES Certificate from WCCB
ITC (HS) Restricted-import declaration to DGFT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a valid CITES Certificate for the consignment before shipment and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 626000 at the bill of entry stage. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until the CITES Certificate IRN is verified in e-Sanchit by the proper officer.
ITC (HS) Import Policy, Restricted-import condition · document code 626000 · WCCB CITES regime
2
Confirm the import is permissible under the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy for this CTI. The Restricted status means import is not free; the ITC (HS) policy condition must be satisfied and the CITES Certificate uploaded before the proper officer can grant out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Restricted-import condition, Chapter 96

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is securing a CITES Certificate for the exporting country but failing to verify that the species of carving material — ivory, tortoise-shell, coral, or other CITES-listed animal material — is listed under the correct CITES Appendix and that the certificate covers the precise quantity and description on the commercial invoice. A CITES Certificate that mismatches the consignment description results in detention and potential confiscation under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, regardless of whether the importer's intent was legitimate.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 9601 90 90 require BIS certification?

No, worked animal carving material is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau clearance under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, with a CITES Certificate (document code 626000) mandatory at the bill of entry and the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by DGFT.

Is the CITES Certificate upload in e-Sanchit sufficient, or must it also be routed through WCCB for NOC?

Where the bill is PGA-facilitated and not routed through WCCB for NOC, the proper officer verifies that the CITES Certificate (document code 626000) has been uploaded in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge; routing through WCCB for the NOC is the standard path for non-facilitated bills.

What happens if ivory or tortoise-shell is imported without a CITES Certificate?

Importation of CITES-listed animal carving material without a valid CITES Certificate constitutes a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, exposing the consignment to seizure and confiscation and the importer to criminal liability under that Act.

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