Green tea waste

Green tea waste, unfermented green tea residues

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 20 40 (Green tea waste) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and the tariff line is governed by ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Importers sourcing from Nepal must additionally hold a licence under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 and a clearance certificate from the Tea Council.

What this is

HSN code

0902 20 40

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food grade certificate from FSSAI
CC for tea import from Tea Board

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 an FSSAI Import Licence and ensure the mandatory documents — Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), and CC for Tea Import by Tea Board (document code 911TB1) — are uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. Comply with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 for designated food-import entry points.
FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
For consignments originating from Nepal, hold a valid licence under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 and obtain a clearance certificate from the Tea Council before the consignment is permitted entry. The India-Nepal trade treaty mandates sanitary and phytosanitary certificates as a further pre-condition.
CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Customs dated 24-11-2021 · Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005
3
Apply the FSSAI risk-based sampling protocol for Nepal and Sri Lanka origin consignments: 100% referral for the first three consignments, and if all three are cleared, only 5% of subsequent consignments are referred for FSSAI testing. Ensure PPQS phytosanitary clearance is obtained concurrently at the port.
FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to distinguish the Nepal-origin dual-licence requirement from the standard FSSAI-only pathway: importers who hold a current FSSAI Import Licence but lack the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 licence and Tea Council clearance certificate face consignment detention at the port, regardless of food-safety compliance. The reduced 5% FSSAI sampling rate for Nepal and Sri Lanka origin is conditional on all three initial consignments having passed without adverse findings — a single adverse result resets the 100% referral obligation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 20 40 require BIS certification?

No, green tea waste does not fall under any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, with concurrent PPQS phytosanitary clearance and DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9.

What document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and CC for Tea Import by Tea Board (911TB1), all to be uploaded before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs.

Does the reduced FSSAI sampling rate of 5% apply to all countries of origin?

No. The reduced 5% referral rate applies only to Nepal and Sri Lanka origin consignments, and only after the first three consecutive consignments have been cleared without adverse findings, per the FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024; 100% referral applies to all other origins.

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