Light black pepper

Light black pepper, whole unground Piper nigrum

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0904 11 20 (Light black pepper) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with an ITC (HS) Prohibited-import status overridden by a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of ₹500 per kilogram CIF administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Consignments must enter only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 bars importation of spices under the Duty-Free Import Authorisation scheme without exception.

What this is

HSN code

0904 11 20

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Secure a valid FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the foreign manufacturing or processing facility meets FSSAI registration requirements for food imports. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence, Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Confirm the consignment CIF value exceeds ₹500 per kilogram before shipment. The ITC (HS) policy classifies this tariff line as Prohibited; import is free only when the MIP threshold is met. The MIP carve-out for Advance Authorisation holders applies solely when import is for oleoresin extraction or for re-export by manufacturer-exporters, and only subject to Policy Condition No. 3 of Chapter 9.
DGFT Notification 21/2015-20 dated 25-07-2018 · ITC (HS) Policy Condition No. 3, Chapter 9
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports and do not attempt importation under the Duty-Free Import Authorisation scheme. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices, including pepper, appear in Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making their import under DFIA impermissible regardless of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is invoking the Advance Authorisation MIP carve-out without satisfying its enumerated conditions: the exemption is restricted to oleoresin extraction or re-export by manufacturer-exporters under Policy Condition No. 3, and does not extend to general trading or domestic consumption. A consignment cleared under a misapplied AA exemption is treated as an unauthorised import against a Prohibited-policy line, attracting confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 additionally closes off any DFIA route, so no licence-based shortcut exists for routine spice imports below the MIP threshold.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0904 11 20 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers light black pepper or other whole spices under Chapter 9. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Minimum Import Price overlay administered by DGFT and Prohibited-import status unless the MIP threshold is met.

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

Four documents must be uploaded before customs out-of-charge: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001), per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can an importer bring in light black pepper below ₹500 per kilogram CIF under any authorisation scheme?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, rendering import under DFIA impermissible in all circumstances; and the Advance Authorisation MIP exemption is available only for oleoresin extraction or re-export by manufacturer-exporters under Policy Condition No. 3 of Chapter 9.

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