Other

Areca nuts, other (dried, shelled, peeled forms)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0802 80 90 (Areca nuts — other) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and carries a Prohibited import status under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import free only where the CIF value is ₹351 per kilogram or above per DGFT Notification 43/2025-26. Phytosanitary clearance, a specimen label upload, and compliance with General Note 4(D) designated food-import ports apply as additional clearance requirements administered by CBIC.

What this is

HSN code

0802 80 90

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
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporting authority
Specimen label copy 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
Verify that the CIF value of the consignment is ₹351 per kilogram or above before filing the bill of entry; import of areca nuts under this CTI is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy and is free only above that Minimum Import Price threshold. The MIP condition does not apply to imports by 100% Export Oriented Units, SEZ units, or Advance Authorisation holders.
DGFT Notification 43/2025-26 dated 15-10-2025
2
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. The proper officer must confirm all three documents are present in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Note that the DRI Alert 13/2013 dated 03-06-2013 flags this tariff line for undervaluation risk and diversion of goods meant for Nepal; customs officers apply heightened valuation scrutiny at the bill-of-entry stage.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · DRI Alert 13/2013 dated 03-06-2013

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the MIP-based free-import window with unrestricted importability: the Prohibited status means any consignment where the declared CIF value falls below ₹351 per kilogram is treated as a prohibited-goods import, attracting confiscation and monetary penalty irrespective of the importer's intent. Undervaluation of areca nuts is specifically flagged in DRI Alert 13/2013, and customs officers in the Kolkata zone maintain a registration-certificate monitoring mechanism per CBIC Instruction 27/2022-Cus — declared values close to the MIP threshold are routinely subjected to enhanced examination and valuation inquiry.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 0802 80 90 require BIS certification?

No, areca nuts are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Prohibited ITC (HS) policy status subject to a Minimum Import Price of ₹351 per kilogram per DGFT Notification 43/2025-26.

Do EOU, SEZ, and Advance Authorisation importers need to comply with the ₹351 per kilogram Minimum Import Price?

No. The MIP condition is not applicable for imports by 100% Export Oriented Units, units in SEZs, and importers under the Advance Authorisation scheme, per DGFT Notification 43/2025-26, provided the imported areca nuts are not diverted into the Domestic Tariff Area.

Is there a separate regime for fresh green areca nut from Bhutan under CTI 0802 80 10?

Yes, but that regime applies to HSN 0802 80 10, not to this CTI. An annual quota of 17,000 MT of fresh green areca nut from Bhutan without MIP is permitted only through LCS Jaigaon and only with a valid Registration Certificate issued by DGFT, per DGFT Notification 36/2015-20 and related procedures under DGFT Notification 61/2015-20.

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