Crushed or ground

Crushed or ground cloves (whole fruit, stems)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0907 20 00 (Crushed or ground cloves) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with import permitted only through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) imposes policy condition 1 of Chapter 09, and spices in this tariff line are explicitly ineligible for import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation as confirmed by DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0907 20 00

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 specimen copy of label (document code 0110FS), food grade certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) are all uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The customs proper officer will verify each document code prior to granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm DGFT policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 is satisfied; spices including crushed or ground cloves are listed under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering them ineligible for import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation under any circumstances.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025
3
For consignments containing clove stem, apply testing against safety parameters (horizontal standards) and volatile oil content on a dry basis of not less than 8.5 percent by v/w — being half the value prescribed for whole cloves — per FSSR 2.9.6(1), until dedicated standards for clove stem are notified. Labelling deficiencies permitted for rectification at customs bonded warehouses must be corrected before visual inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer.
FSSAI order dated 17-06-2022 · Order No. 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is attempting to import crushed or ground cloves under a Duty Free Import Authorisation on the basis that the intended end use is manufacturing or re-export. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 is unambiguous: all spices fall under Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition that bars DFIA utilisation irrespective of end use — consignments routed through a DFIA are liable to Restricted-import enforcement and retrospective duty recovery.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0907 20 00 require BIS certification?

No; crushed or ground cloves 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 a concurrent DGFT policy condition and designated-port restriction under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022.

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 present in e-Sanchit before the customs proper officer grants out-of-charge.

Can crushed or ground cloves be imported under a Duty Free Import Authorisation for use in manufacture?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices, including cloves, appear in Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making their import under a DFIA impermissible irrespective of the intended end use.

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