Black pepper, garbled

Whole black pepper, garbled (not crushed or ground)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0904 11 30 (Black pepper, garbled) 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. The tariff line carries a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of ₹500 per kilogram under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy, with import otherwise Prohibited; Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) document-verification requirements and the 79-designated-port restriction apply as additional overlays.

What this is

HSN code

0904 11 30

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
Obtain a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the CIF value of the consignment is above ₹500 per kilogram before filing the bill of entry. The tariff line is otherwise Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy; the MIP exemption for Advance Authorisation holders, 100% EOUs and SEZ units does not remove the Prohibited status for general importers.
DGFT Notification 21/2015-20 dated 25-07-2018 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
2
Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is presented. The proper officer must verify all four documents are present before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Do not attempt import under Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA): DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering import under DFIA impermissible irrespective of intended end use. Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is an importer assuming the MIP carve-out for Advance Authorisation, EOU or SEZ units provides a general exemption from the Prohibited-import status — it does not; only the MIP threshold is waived for those categories, and the FSSAI Import Licence, designated-port requirement and full e-Sanchit document set remain mandatory regardless. Additionally, DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 closes the DFIA route for all spices without exception: a consignment arriving under a DFIA declaration is subject to confiscation and monetary penalty under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0904 11 30 require BIS certification?

No, garbled black pepper falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers spices under Chapter 09. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Prohibited-import overlay subject to a Minimum Import Price of ₹500 per kilogram administered by DGFT.

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), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000) and FSSAI Import Licence (911001); all must be uploaded before the proper officer grants out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can garbled black pepper be imported under DFIA or any duty-free authorisation scheme?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 expressly confirms that all spices, including black pepper, fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, making import under DFIA impermissible under any circumstances regardless of intended end use.

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