In shell

Cashew nuts in shell, fresh or dried

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0801 31 00 (Cashew nuts in shell) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with Phyto-Sanitary Certificate and specimen label obligations at the bill of entry. Import is permitted only through designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, with policy oversight by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and customs enforcement by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

What this is

HSN code

0801 31 00

Chapter

08 · Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phyto-Sanitary Certificate from exporting country
Specimen copy of label from importer

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a current FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the Phyto-Sanitary Certificate (document code 851000) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS); the proper officer will verify all three documents prior to granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Ensure import invoice and declared grade accurately reflect the actual quality of cashew nuts. DRI Alert 20/12 dated 30-11-2012 flags systematic under-valuation and misclassification of high-grade cashews as broken, poultry-feed, or cattle-feed grade; customs officers on this tariff line apply enhanced scrutiny to both CIF value and physical grade declarations.
DRI Alert 20/12 dated 30-11-2012

A word of counsel

The DRI alert on this tariff line is operationally active: consignments declared as lower-grade or feed-grade cashews are routinely subjected to physical examination and valuation scrutiny, and a mismatch between declared grade and examined goods exposes the importer to confiscation, re-determination of assessable value, and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962. Separately, labelling deficiencies that are rectifiable under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 must be corrected at a customs bonded warehouse by a non-detachable sticker before visual inspection — they do not constitute grounds for holding clearance of an otherwise compliant consignment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0801 31 00 require BIS certification?

No, cashew nuts in shell are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence, Phyto-Sanitary Certificate, and designated food-import port requirements applying at the bill of entry.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for this tariff line?

Three documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Phyto-Sanitary Certificate (851000), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

What are the consequences of declaring high-grade cashews as a lower or feed grade?

Mis-declaration of cashew grade triggers confiscation, enhanced valuation, and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962; DRI Alert 20/12 dated 30-11-2012 specifically flags this evasion pattern, making physical examination and value verification routine on this HSN.

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