Country Import Document Checklists
Country-specific import documentation checklists focused on bulk commodity cargo, with commodity overlays for coal, ore, grain and fertiliser. Confirm the current regime with your customs broker before relying on this list.
India runs a fully electronic filing regime through ICEGATE with a risk-management-driven inspection selection. Bulk commodity imports attract additional sectoral clearances.
Must state Incoterm with named place, HS code, unit price, currency and country of origin. Value must reconcile with the customs declaration.
Gross and net weight, packing type. For bulk, a weight declaration referencing the draft survey serves the purpose.
Full set of original negotiable B/Ls, or a sea waybill / telex release where the trade is on open account.
Chamber-issued, or a preferential origin certificate / origin declaration where an FTA rate is claimed.
Filed electronically on ICEGATE. Home consumption, warehousing or ex-bond as applicable.
PAN-linked, issued by DGFT. No import can clear without it.
IGST is levied at import and credited against output GST.
For coal, petcoke, fertiliser and food-grade cargo. Must be issued by an accredited laboratory.
Mandatory for steel, certain chemicals and electronics under the BIS (Quality Control) Orders.
All food consignments (grain, sugar, edible oil) require an FSSAI NOC through the FICS portal.
Plant Quarantine clearance for all agricultural cargo; fumigation certificate usually accompanies it.
Fuel-grade petcoke imports are restricted; only cement, lime, calcium carbide and gasification users hold permissions with quantity caps.
Advance registration on the CIMS portal 5–60 days before arrival for coal under HS 2701, 2702, 2703.
For iron and steel products under Chapters 72, 73.
Required where the Incoterm is CIF/CIP or where the declared value includes insurance.
Supports the declared weight in a bulk consignment where customs weighs on discharge.
- CIMS/SIMS advance registration must be done before arrival | retrospective registration is not accepted and the cargo sits.
- Petcoke restrictions are enforced strictly; a general trader cannot import fuel-grade petcoke without an end-use permission.
- The customs declared value must include ocean freight and insurance at notional rates (20 % and 1.125 %) if actuals are not evidenced.
Overview & methodology
Numerical Example: Rice Import to India
Failure to provide a phytosanitary certificate will result in immediate cargo rejection or treatment delays.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents are needed to import a bulk commodity?
Commercial invoice, packing or weight list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, certificate of quality and weight, insurance certificate where applicable, and commodity-specific permits - phytosanitary for grains, BIS or coal import permits in some markets, and licences for fertilisers and hazardous cargoes.