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No.CLE/POL/Import Leathers/2008
March. 13,2008
Members of the Council.
Sub : Import of hides/skins/leathers - import through designated ports - reg.
Dear Members,
As you may be aware, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of
Agriculture, Government of India issued a Notification dated July 7, 2001 (copy
enclosed at Annexure - I) which restricted the import of various items including
meat and meat products of all kinds including fresh, chilled and frozen meat, tissue
or organs of poultry, pig, sheep and goat. The said Notification also mentioned that
import of these products shall be allowed only against a Sanitary Import Permit to
be issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
However, upon representation of the Council, the Department of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying clarified that that by-products from livestock such as hides/skins and
chemically treated fish oil do not come within the purview of the Notification and
do not require Import Sanitary Permits from the Department of Animal Husbandry &
Dairying, Government of India. The Department further stated that hides and skins
are being imported into India under cover of Sanitary Certificate from
exporting/supplying countries and this practice may continue.
However, the consignments of sheep wet blue leather imported from the Middle East
through Cochin Seaport by some member-exporters during Jan. 2008 were not cleared by
the Customs Authorities in Cochin citing that Cochin is not a designated port for
import of such materials, as per provisions of Customs Circular no.48/2005 dated
Nov. 28, 2005. This was done on the basis of opinion obtained from the Animal
Quarantine & Certification Service in Chennai. (copy of the Customs Circular
No.48/2005 is enclosed at Annexure - II). The said Customs Circular mentioned that
import of livestock products will be allowed through the airports and seaports at
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai only which have Animal Quarantine and
Certification Service Stations.
The opinion of Animal Quarantine & Certification Service in Chennai is that
livestock products like hides/skins/leathers are also tissues of animals and hence
are subjected to the regulations of the Department of Agriculture Notification dated
July 7, 2001. This means that the hides/skins/leathers will be referred to Animal
Quarantine & Certification Service even if the consignments have the
Sanitary/Veterinary Certificate issued by the supplier country.
On account of the above, there is a possibility that the hides/skins/leathers
imported through non-designated ports (ports other than Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and
Chennai) may be withheld by the Customs Authorities.
Considering this problem, the Council has already represented the matter to the
Ministry of Agriculture seeking the following remedial action. However, the
Notification in this regard is awaited from the Ministry.
- Hides/skins/leathers and chemically treated fish oil are not livestock
products but are only by-products and hence do not come under the purview of the
Notification of Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying dated July 7, 2001.
- Import consignments of raw hides and skins need not be referred to the
Animal Quarantine Department in India and may be allowed for import under the cover
of sanitary certificate from the exporting countries.
- Import consignments of semi-processed leathers and finished leathers need
not be referred to the Animal Quarantine Department in India.
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Hides/skins/semi-processed leathers/finished leather and chemically treated
fish oil may be permitted for import through any port in India.
Meanwhile, as precautionary measure, member-exporters are hereby advised to import
their hides/skins/leathers only through designated ports namely Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata and Chennai, along with necessary documents including the
Sanitary/Veterinary Certificate issued by the authorities in supplying country so as
to avoid customs clearance problems at other ports.
Such consignments of hides/skins/leathers imported through designated ports may be
referred by the Customs Authorities to the local Animal Quarantine & Certification
Service for opinion before clearance.
Member exporters may kindly note the above.
With regards
Dr. K. Elangovan
Executive Director
Notifications/Circulars
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