Pepper pinheads

Pepper pinheads, whole uncrushed piper pepper

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0904 11 60 (Pepper pinheads) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of ₹500 per kilogram operative under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The tariff line is otherwise classified as Prohibited, with import permitted only at or above the MIP threshold and exclusively through designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0904 11 60

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food / spices regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter
Food grade certificate from FSSAI

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
Ensure the consignment CIF value exceeds ₹500 per kilogram before filing the bill of entry; the tariff line is Prohibited at sub-MIP values. Note that the MIP exemption for Advance Authorisation holders, 100% EOUs and SEZ units does not override the Prohibited-import status — spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making import under DFIA impermissible irrespective of end use.
DGFT Notification 21/2015-20 dated 25-07-2018 · DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025
2
Upload all mandatory documents in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry reaches the customs officer: 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). Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until each document code is verified in e-Sanchit.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies permitted for rectification at the port must be corrected at a customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I ITC (HS) 2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The single most consequential error on this tariff line is assuming that Advance Authorisation or DFIA entitlement overrides the Prohibited-import status at sub-MIP values. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 explicitly confirms that all spices, including pepper pinheads, fall under Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition; import under DFIA is impermissible under any circumstances regardless of intended end use. A consignment arriving under a DFIA claim at sub-MIP CIF is treated as a prohibited-goods import and is liable to confiscation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0904 11 60 require BIS certification?

No, pepper pinheads are not within 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 the ITC (HS) Prohibited-import policy administered by DGFT subject to a ₹500/kg MIP threshold.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Four document codes are mandatory: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001). Customs out-of-charge is withheld until all four codes are verified in e-Sanchit per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Can pepper pinheads be imported under the Duty-Free Import Authorisation scheme?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices, including this tariff line, fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition; import under DFIA is not permissible irrespective of the intended end use.

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