Not Extracted (other than stem)

Whole cloves, neither crushed nor ground, not extracted

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0907 10 20 (whole cloves, neither crushed nor ground, not extracted other than stem) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent Phytosanitary Certificate requirement and the ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Consignments must transit only through the 79 designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and spices including cloves are ineligible for import under DFIA per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0907 10 20

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporting authority
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
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence before shipment and ensure the foreign manufacturing facility meets FSSAI requirements. 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 before filing the bill of entry.
ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime — deficiencies in per-serve RDA percentages or expiry-date presentation may be rectified at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before authorised-officer inspection.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices, including cloves, fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA-based import impermissible irrespective of the intended end use. Where the consignment includes clove stem, testing is conducted against FSSR 2.9.6(1) horizontal safety parameters and volatile oil content of not less than 8.5% v/w on a dry basis.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The single most consequential trap on this tariff line is attempting to leverage a DFIA to bypass the pre-import condition applicable to spices under Appendix 4J: DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 closes this route categorically and retrospective DFIA claims invite confiscation and monetary penalty under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. Separately, importers of clove stem must note that pending notification of dedicated clove-stem standards, FSSAI applies FSSR 2.9.6(1) clove-whole parameters at half the volatile oil threshold — a testing basis that is product-specific and not printed on standard FSSAI guidance leaflets.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0907 10 20 require BIS certification?

No, whole cloves fall 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 Act, 2006, with an ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 overlay administered by DGFT.

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 cloves be imported under a Duty Free Import Authorisation?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices, including cloves, are listed in Appendix 4J as subject to a pre-import condition and are ineligible for import under DFIA under any circumstances, regardless of end use.

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