Of genus Pimenta

Dried whole fruits of genus Pimenta (allspice, bay rum berry)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0904 21 20 (dried whole fruits of genus Pimenta) 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 the import additionally governed by policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 of the ITC (HS) policy 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 spices under this tariff line are explicitly ineligible for import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation.

What this is

HSN code

0904 21 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 exporting country

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 valid FSSAI Import Licence before filing the bill of entry and ensure it covers dried whole fruits of genus Pimenta as a spice category. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 · FSSAI Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import entry points mandated under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Do not import this tariff line under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making their import under DFIA impermissible irrespective of intended end use. Confirm the authorisation type before placing the purchase order to avoid consignment rejection at the bill-of-entry stage.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is attempting importation under a Duty Free Import Authorisation on the assumption that genus Pimenta spices qualify as a manufacturing input — DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 closes this avenue entirely, as all spices fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition. An importer who has already placed a purchase order relying on DFIA authorisation will face either consignment rejection at the port or retrospective denial of the duty benefit, attracting recovery with interest.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0904 21 20 require BIS certification?

No, dried fruits of genus Pimenta fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime entirely. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 as the operative DGFT overlay.

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

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

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified at the port for genus Pimenta spice imports?

Yes, limited rectification is permitted at customs bonded warehouses before visual inspection — covering per-serve dietary contribution data and expiry/best-before date — provided the information is affixed by a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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