Small, mixed

Small cardamom, neither crushed nor ground, mixed grades

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0908 31 50 (Small cardamom, mixed, neither crushed nor ground) 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 of ₹500 per kilogram CIF. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy requires compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 for designated food-import entry points, and spices under this tariff line are ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025.

What this is

HSN code

0908 31 50

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 an FSSAI Import Licence and ensure the consignment CIF value meets or exceeds ₹500 per kilogram before filing the bill of entry. 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.
FSSAI Act, 2006 · Notification No. 109/(RE-2013)/2009-2014 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies permissible for port-level rectification must be addressed by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before inspection by the authorised officer, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I, 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022
3
Do not attempt importation under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) or any other advance-authorisation-linked scheme. All spices, including cardamom, fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition; import under DFIA is impermissible 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 attempting to import cardamom under a Duty Free Import Authorisation on the assumption that end-use manufacturing exempts it from the pre-import condition. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 explicitly closes this route: all spices appear in Appendix 4J, and the pre-import condition applies without exception regardless of end use, making any DFIA-backed import unlawful and liable to Customs Act enforcement and DGFT penalty proceedings.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0908 31 50 require BIS certification?

No, small mixed cardamom is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. 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 mandatory e-Sanchit document uploads before out-of-charge.

Which documents 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 the customs proper officer grants out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can spices under this HSN be imported under a Duty Free Import Authorisation?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices, including cardamom, fall under Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition, rendering import under DFIA impermissible under any circumstances irrespective of the intended end use.

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