Green tea in packets with contents exceeding 3 kg. but not exceeding 20 kg.

Green tea (not fermented) in bulk packets, 3 to 20 kg

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 20 10 (green tea in packets exceeding 3 kg but not exceeding 20 kg) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence clearance under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, and Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance as concurrent primary obligations. The tariff line also carries ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and imports are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0902 20 10

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Clearance certificate from Tea Board
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Certificate from PPQS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

PPQSPPQS·Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary regime

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 valid FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. For imports from Nepal, a separate clearance certificate issued by the Tea Council, pursuant to the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005, and a Tea Board licence (document code 911TB1) are also mandatory.
FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Customs dated 24-11-2021 · Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005
2
Comply with the mandatory sampling and testing protocol: for tea imported from Nepal and Sri Lanka, 100% referral to FSSAI applies for the first three consignments; only if all three are cleared does the referral rate reduce to 5% for subsequent consignments. Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import ports in conformity with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 and General Note 4(D) of Schedule I.
FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09
3
Before customs out-of-charge, verify that labelling on the consignment meets the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA percentages and expiry date alignment — may be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker, without altering the original label, subject to authorised-officer verification.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to obtain the Tea Council clearance certificate for Nepal-origin tea, treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole required instrument. The Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 imposes an independent licencing obligation on importers of Nepali tea, and a missing clearance certificate results in consignment detention at the port regardless of FSSAI compliance status. The 100%-referral rule for the first three Nepal or Sri Lanka consignments is a separate trigger: even a licence-current, label-compliant consignment is held pending FSSAI laboratory clearance until the three-consignment threshold is cleared.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 20 10 require BIS certification?

No, green tea in bulk packets is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance and the DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09.

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

The four mandatory document codes are: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and the Tea Board clearance certificate for tea import (911TB1); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted.

Does the reduced 5% sampling rate apply from the very first consignment from Nepal or Sri Lanka?

No. The 5% referral rate applies only after the first three consignments from Nepal or Sri Lanka have each received a clear FSSAI NOC; until that threshold is met, 100% referral to FSSAI for sampling and testing is mandatory per the FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024.

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