Boric acid imported into India for industrial use needs an import permit from CIB&RC because it is listed as an insecticide under the Insecticides Act, 1968. Manufacturers apply on Form IA showing how much boric acid their process consumes; the permit is generally valid for one year.
Why does boric acid need a permit?
Boric acid is used as a household insecticide against cockroaches and ants, which is why it appears in the Schedule. Most of the boric acid India imports, however, goes into frits and glazes, borosilicate and specialty glass, glass wool and textile fibreglass, vitreous enamels and flame retardants. For those uses the correct route is an import permit, not pesticide registration.
Which industries import boric acid?
- Ceramic tiles and sanitaryware, especially the Morbi cluster in Gujarat, for frits and glazes
- Glass and fibreglass, for borosilicate glass, glass wool and reinforcement fibre
- Enamels, for appliances and cookware
- Chemicals, for borates and flame-retardant formulations
How do you calculate the quantity to request?
Start from the boric acid content of each frit or glaze recipe, multiply by planned output, and compare with the last three years of imports and consumption. Where the result exceeds the three-year average by more than 30%, justification from the State Department of Industry should be obtained in advance. A quantity derived from documented production data is substantiated more readily than an approximate figure.
What trips up boric acid applications?
- Grade on the application differs from the MSDS or the supplier invoice
- The source named is a trader, but the material is made by someone else
- Consumption certificate does not match the quantity requested
- Permit expires while a shipment is at sea
More detail in our boric acid import guide.
Which documents are needed?
- Applicant name and address, and the premises where the chemical will be stored or used
- Name of the chemical, its minimum purity and the source of import (overseas manufacturer or exporter)
- The product you manufacture with it, the function it performs and the percentage used
- Valid industrial licence, factory licence or other specified proof of the manufacturing facility
- Licensed and installed production capacity
- Pollution Control Board consent (Consent to Establish / Operate)
- Quantities imported and consumed in each of the last three financial years, with the final product made from them (a CA certificate is the usual evidence)
- Self-certified affidavit supporting the quantity requested, and a declaration that the material is for your own use and not for sale
- For domestic use: declaration certified by the jurisdictional Industrial Health & Safety office that the chemical will be stored separately
- For export-linked use: foreign buyer details and advance licence, where applicable
- Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS)
The exact list depends on your product and business; we confirm it before filing.