Content exceeding 25 g. but not exceeding 1 kg.

Black tea in packings exceeding 25 g up to 1 kg

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 30 20 (black tea, immediate packings of 25 g–1 kg) 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 and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 of the ITC (HS) apply as additional clearance requirements. Consignments from Nepal carry a further mandatory licence and Tea Council clearance certificate under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005.

What this is

HSN code

0902 30 20

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 PPQS
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 a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) are uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Comply with DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 for this tariff line.
Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1, Chapter 9 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Upload the Tea Board Clearance Certificate for tea import (document code 911TB1) in e-Sanchit. For consignments originating from Nepal, also obtain a mandatory licence under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 and a clearance certificate from the Tea Council prior to import; sanitary and phytosanitary certificates are mandatory under the India–Nepal trade treaty.
Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 · CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Customs dated 24-11-2021 (F.No. 401/88/2021-CUS-III)
3
Note that FSSAI sampling and testing for tea from Nepal and Sri Lanka operates at 100% referral for the first three consignments; if all three clear, only 5% of subsequent consignments are referred. Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and address any labelling deficiencies per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating Nepal-origin tea as equivalent to other-origin tea and omitting the Tea Council clearance certificate and the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 licence. These are independent of the FSSAI Import Licence and the PPQS phytosanitary certificate; a consignment arriving without the Tea Council clearance will be detained regardless of food-safety NOC status. The origin-specific 100% sampling trigger for the first three consignments from Nepal and Sri Lanka also frequently catches importers who benchmark against a prior supplier's clearance experience.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 30 20 require BIS certification?

No, black tea in immediate packings is not covered by 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 Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance and DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 as concurrent requirements.

Which 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 Tea Board Clearance Certificate for tea import (911TB1), all to be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is given by the proper officer.

Does the FSSAI 100% sampling rule for Nepal and Sri Lanka apply from the first shipment?

Yes. Per the FSSAI letter dated 23 April 2024, the first three consignments from Nepal and Sri Lanka are subject to 100% FSSAI referral for sampling and testing; only if all three clear is the referral rate reduced to 5% for subsequent consignments.

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