Black tea, waste

Black tea waste, fermented and partly fermented

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 40 60 (Black tea, waste) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) import licence and mandatory food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary oversight and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition no. 1 of Chapter 09 apply as additional clearance requirements. Consignments imported from Nepal require a Tea Council clearance certificate and a licence under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005, with import permitted only through designated food-import entry points.

What this is

HSN code

0902 40 60

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

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

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. The FSSAI clearance regime under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 applies to all consignments irrespective of origin, and out-of-charge will not be granted without these documents.
Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
For imports sourced from Nepal, additionally obtain a clearance certificate from the Tea Council and hold a licence under the Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005; upload the Tea Board clearance certificate (document code 911TB1) in e-Sanchit. A mandatory sanitary and phytosanitary certificate is also required before the consignment is permitted entry, per the India-Nepal trade treaty.
CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Customs dated 24-11-2021 vide F.No. 401/88/2021-CUS-III · Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005
3
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points listed under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. For Nepal- and Sri Lanka-origin shipments, note the tiered FSSAI referral protocol: 100% sampling for the first three consignments; if all three clear, only 5% of subsequent consignments are referred for FSSAI testing.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · ITC (HS) policy condition no. 1, Chapter 09

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating Nepal-origin tea as subject only to the standard FSSAI import-licence pathway and overlooking the parallel Tea (Distribution & Export) Control Order, 2005 licence and Tea Council clearance certificate — both of which are mandatory and independent of the FSSAI regime. Arriving at the designated port without the Tea Board clearance (document code 911TB1) uploaded in e-Sanchit will result in consignment detention regardless of FSSAI licence currency, as the proper officer is instructed to verify all four mandatory document codes before granting out-of-charge.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 40 60 require BIS certification?

No, black tea waste falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, with PPQS phytosanitary oversight and the DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition no. 1 of Chapter 09.

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

The four document codes are: specimen copy of label (0110FS), food grade certificate (6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and CC for tea import by Tea Board (911TB1); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted.

Does the tiered FSSAI sampling protocol for Nepal and Sri Lanka apply permanently?

The protocol — 100% referral for the first three consignments, reducing to 5% if all three are clear — is operative per FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 and applies to Nepal- and Sri Lanka-origin consignments specifically; importers should confirm continuation with FSSAI before each new trade season.

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