Black tea, leaf in bulk

Black tea, leaf in bulk (fermented, other than packaged)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 40 20 (Black tea, leaf in bulk) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory sampling and testing under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance and an FSSAI Clearance Certificate apply as concurrent requirements, with import additionally restricted under ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Consignments must enter through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0902 40 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 FSSAI
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
Hold a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the specimen copy of label (0110FS), food grade certificate (6570FS), and the Clearance Certificate for tea import by Tea Board (911TB1). Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until all four documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
For tea imported from Nepal, obtain the licence mandated under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005, secure a clearance certificate from the Tea Council prior to import, and present a mandatory sanitary and phytosanitary certificate as required under the India-Nepal trade treaty. FSSAI mandates 100% referral for testing for the first three consignments; if all three clear, only 5% of subsequent consignments are referred.
CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Cus dated 24-11-2021 · FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005
3
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 import satisfies ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09. Any labelling deficiencies permissible under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 must be rectified at the customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker.
ITC (HS) policy condition 1, Chapter 09 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the Tea Board Clearance Certificate (document code 911TB1), which is an independent requirement enforced at e-Sanchit verification. For Nepal-origin consignments specifically, the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 licence and the Tea Council clearance certificate are additional prerequisites that must be in place before shipment departs; their absence triggers consignment detention and demurrage at the designated port, and no post-arrival rectification pathway exists for missing PGA clearances.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 40 20 require BIS certification?

No, bulk black tea 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 concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance and the ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by DGFT.

What are the mandatory e-Sanchit document codes for this tariff line?

Four documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: specimen copy of label (0110FS), food grade certificate (6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and the Clearance Certificate for tea import by Tea Board (911TB1).

Does the reduced 5% FSSAI testing referral rate apply to all origins?

No. The graduated regime — 100% referral for the first three consignments, then 5% thereafter if all three clear — applies specifically to tea imported from Nepal and Sri Lanka per the FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024; consignments from other origins are subject to the standard FSSAI import-testing protocol.

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