C Grade

Unroasted, not decaffeinated coffee, C Grade

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0901 11 43 (C Grade 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, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 applies as an additional import-policy overlay, and consignments must enter through designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0901 11 43

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Import Regulations, 2017)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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 the FSSAI Import Licence before filing the bill of entry and ensure the mandatory documents — Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) — are uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge. Labelling deficiencies permissible for port rectification under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus must be rectified at the customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and confirm the consignment satisfies ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 before shipping. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the 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 filing the bill of entry. Re-imports without this permit are not eligible for clearance under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942.
Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is overlooking the Coffee Board permit requirement for re-imports — importers treat re-imported Indian-origin coffee as a standard first-time import and omit the Section 21 permit entirely, only discovering the gap at the out-of-charge stage. Separately, label rectification at port is confined to the specific parameters listed in CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus; missing FSSAI clearance itself cannot be rectified post-arrival and will result in consignment detention.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0901 11 43 require BIS certification?

No, unroasted coffee falls outside 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 an ITC (HS) policy condition administered by DGFT and a designated food-import port requirement under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Three documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001), per the customs officer verification requirements referenced in the CCR.

When is a Coffee Board permit required, and what happens if it is absent?

A Coffee Board permit under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942 is required specifically for re-import of coffee that was originally exported from India; failure to produce it at the bill-of-entry stage renders the consignment ineligible for out-of-charge clearance.

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