Lilies (Lilium spp.)

Fresh or prepared cut lilies (Lilium spp.)

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 0603 15 00 (Lilies, Lilium spp.) is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under which import of cut flowers is Free but restricted to a single designated port of entry. Per DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020, imports are permitted exclusively through Chennai Airport.

What this is

HSN code

0603 15 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 06 — single-port condition

Customs documentation

Port-compliance declaration from DGFT
Commercial invoice from exporter

Compliance steps

1
Route the consignment exclusively through Chennai Airport. The ITC (HS) policy permits import of cut flowers under this tariff line as Free, but the single-port condition is a hard prerequisite — arrival at any other airport or seaport renders the consignment liable to detention and re-export.
DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020
2
Ensure all commercial and customs documentation — commercial invoice, packing list, airway bill — correctly identifies Chennai Airport as the port of import before shipment is tendered to the carrier. Amending the port of discharge after departure is operationally difficult and attracts ground rent and demurrage at the diversion port.
DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020 · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 06

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is booking a consolidated air-freight shipment of ornamental flowers through a hub other than Chennai — typically Mumbai or Delhi — on the assumption that a Free ITC (HS) status removes all port constraints. It does not. The port-of-entry restriction under DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 is independent of the Free-import status, and consignments diverted to an unnotified airport face detention, demurrage, and mandatory re-export at the importer's cost.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0603 15 00 require BIS certification?

No, cut lilies fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers ornamental cut flowers. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with the operative constraint being the Chennai Airport single-port condition under DGFT Notification 17/2015-20.

Can lilies under this HSN be imported through Mumbai or Delhi airports?

No. DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 dated 09-07-2020 restricts import of cut flowers under Chapter 06 to Chennai Airport only; consignments tendered at any other port of entry are not permitted clearance.

Does the Free import status under ITC (HS) mean no conditions apply?

No. Free import status means no import licence or quota applies, but the port-of-entry condition under DGFT Notification 17/2015-20 remains a binding operational requirement that must be met at the bill-of-entry stage.

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