The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs ( CBIC ) has issued Compliance Requirements for Health Certificates on food consignments imported from Bhutan, following the implementation of the Agreement signed between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ( FSSAI ) and the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority ( BFDA ).
This Agreement, signed on March 21, 2024, at Thimphu, Bhutan, facilitates the smooth import of food products from Bhutan into India by recognizing the BFDA’s control over food businesses in Bhutan as equivalent to India’s FSSAI standards.
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Food consignments from Bhutan must be accompanied by a Health Certificate issued by the BFDA, confirming compliance with FSSAI requirements. The health certificate is an official document that verifies that food products exported to India meet FSSAI standards. This certificate will be considered valid by Indian authorities for allowing the import of such food consignments.
The importer or Customs Broker must upload the requisite Health Certificate on the e-Sanchit platform under document code 8511FS when filing the Bill of Entry. The certificate must be issued by the authorised signatories of the BFDA, whose specimen signatures will be provided to the relevant customs authorities for verification.
Customs officers, especially those functioning as Authorised Officers of FSSAI, will ensure that the Health Certificate and other related documents are correctly uploaded on e-Sanchit and verify the documents before issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the consignment.
Only food consignments from Bhutanese manufacturers listed in the scope of approval (attached as Annexure B in the official communication) are eligible for import under this Agreement.
The out-of-charge officer or TSK officer is responsible for verifying the Health Certificate in the same manner as other import documents. If all documents are in order, an NOC will be granted for the consignment to proceed through customs.
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Customs authorities across India are instructed to ensure compliance with these new requirements and to inform officers under their jurisdiction to follow the prescribed protocols strictly.
Importers and customs brokers are also advised to ensure proper document submission to avoid delays in the clearance of food consignments from Bhutan.
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