Juniper berries

Crushed or ground juniper berries, spice import

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 62 40 (Juniper berries, crushed or ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and to ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Import is permitted 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 juniper berries — are ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 62 40

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 valid FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the foreign manufacturing or processing facility is compliant with FSSAI requirements. Upload the Import Licence, 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 9 · FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) · e-Sanchit document codes 0110FS, 6570FS, 851000
2
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import entry points as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies permissible for port rectification — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — must be rectified using a non-detachable sticker affixed at customs-bonded warehouse before inspection, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the modification in CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
3
Do not attempt to import juniper berries under Duty Free Import Authorisation. All spices fall under Appendix 4J of the ITC (HS) and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering import under DFIA impermissible under any circumstances regardless of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that an FSSAI Import Licence alone satisfies customs clearance. The Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) are independently mandatory and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge; a bill of entry presented without all four documents is detained even where the FSSAI licence is current. Additionally, importers using authorisation-based duty-benefit schemes should note that DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 categorically bars spice imports under DFIA — a consignment cleared on that basis faces confiscation and customs duty recovery.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 62 40 require BIS certification?

No, crushed or ground juniper berries fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 as the operative import-policy overlay.

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

Four documents are mandatory at the bill of entry: 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); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.

Can juniper berries be imported under Duty Free Import Authorisation?

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

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