Carnations

Fresh cut carnations for bouquets or ornamental use

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 0603 12 00 (Carnations) is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT): import is classified as Free but is restricted to a single designated entry point — Chennai Airport only — under DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020. No additional sectoral PGA clearance is required at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

0603 12 00

Chapter

06 · Live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Free import policy with designated-port restriction, Chapter 06

Customs documentation

Port-compliance declaration to CBIC
Commercial Invoice from exporter

Compliance steps

1
Route the consignment exclusively through Chennai Airport. Import of cut carnations through any other air cargo terminal, seaport, or land customs station is not authorised under the ITC (HS) policy and exposes the consignment to detention and re-export at the importer's cost.
DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020
2
Confirm at the bill-of-entry stage that the port of import recorded in the shipping documents matches Chennai Airport. A misdeclared or misrouted consignment attracts enforcement under the Customs Act, 1962 as a violation of the ITC (HS) port-of-entry condition.
DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020 · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 06

A word of counsel

The sole operative restriction on this tariff line is geographic, not documentary: the import policy is Free but the entry point is locked to Chennai Airport. Importers who book cargo to any other gateway — Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru — face detention and mandatory re-export, not a licence deficiency that can be cured post-arrival. Confirm the routing with the freight forwarder before the shipment departs the country of origin.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0603 12 00 require BIS certification?

No, cut carnations are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed solely by the ITC (HS) Free import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, subject to the Chennai Airport port-of-entry restriction under DGFT Notification 17/2015-20.

Can cut carnations be imported through Mumbai or Delhi airports?

No. DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020 restricts the import of cut flowers under this tariff line to Chennai Airport only; consignments arriving at any other port are liable to detention and re-export.

Is any PGA licence or registration required in addition to the port condition?

No additional sectoral PGA licence, registration, or NOC is prescribed in the current ITC (HS) policy for this tariff line; compliance is achieved by satisfying the Chennai Airport entry-point condition.

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