AB Grade

Unroasted, not decaffeinated coffee beans, AB grade

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0901 11 31 (AB Grade unroasted coffee) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with import entry points restricted to designated food ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) customs overlays apply as additional clearance requirements. Re-import of coffee previously exported from India requires a separate Coffee Board permit under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942.

What this is

HSN code

0901 11 31

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food grade certificate from FSSAI
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 ensure the food grade certificate and specimen copy of label are uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The mandatory document codes are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), food grade certificate (6570FS), and specimen copy of label (0110FS); customs out-of-charge will not be granted without all three uploaded.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · food grade certificate 6570FS · label specimen 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and verify compliance with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09. Consignments arriving at a non-designated port are liable to detention and demurrage pending re-routing.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1, Chapter 09
3
For re-import of coffee originally exported from India, obtain a Coffee Board permit before shipment dispatch. Re-import without the Coffee Board permit constitutes a violation of Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942 and triggers confiscation risk at the port of entry.
Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942

A word of counsel

The labelling rectification dispensation under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 permits limited on-port sticker correction — per-serve RDA contribution, expiry date additions — but only where the manufacturer itself provides the information and it is applied by a non-detachable method without altering the original label. Importers routinely treat this dispensation as a blanket labelling waiver; it is not. A consignment with substantive non-compliant labelling beyond the enumerated rectifiable parameters faces rejection and re-export rather than rectification, even where the FSSAI Import Licence and food grade certificate are current.

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 0901 11 31 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers unroasted coffee; this tariff line is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with mandatory FSSAI Import Licence, food grade certificate, and specimen label upload in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (code 911001), food grade certificate (code 6570FS), and specimen copy of label (code 0110FS); the proper officer will not grant out-of-charge until all three are verified in e-Sanchit per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Does the Coffee Board permit requirement apply to all imports of AB Grade coffee?

No. The Coffee Board permit under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942 is required only for re-import of coffee that was previously exported from India; ordinary commercial imports of foreign-origin coffee beans do not require a Coffee Board permit.

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