Large (amomum)

Large cardamom, whole unground (amomum species)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0908 31 10 (Large cardamom, amomum, neither crushed nor ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Minimum Import Price of ₹500 per kilogram CIF. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy bars import of all spices — including this tariff line — under Duty Free Import Authorisation, as spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025. General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 restricts entry to designated food-import ports.

What this is

HSN code

0908 31 10

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
Confirm the consignment CIF value is at or above ₹500 per kilogram and obtain a current FSSAI Import Licence before shipment. 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.
FSSAI Act, 2006 · Notification No. 109/(RE-2013)/2009-2014 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment only through one of the designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Any labelling deficiencies permitted for port-level rectification must be corrected at a customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker on the principal display panel without altering original label information.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · 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 of this spice under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA ineligible for this tariff line irrespective of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is the assumption that a Duty Free Import Authorisation covers large cardamom for manufacturing or re-export purposes. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 is unequivocal: all spices under Appendix 4J carry a pre-import condition, and DFIA is ineligible irrespective of intended end use — consignments imported under DFIA are treated as unauthorised and attract confiscation and monetary penalty. Verify the procurement structure before placing the purchase order; there is no post-shipment correction pathway for this restriction.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0908 31 10 require BIS certification?

No, large cardamom (amomum) is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Minimum Import Price of ₹500 per kilogram CIF and a designated food-import port restriction.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

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

Can large cardamom be imported duty-free under a DFIA licence?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices — including large cardamom under Appendix 4J — are subject to a pre-import condition and are ineligible for import under DFIA under any circumstances.

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