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Other seeds, fruit and spores for sowing

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1209 99 90 (Other seeds, fruit and spores for sowing) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements and designated food-import port restrictions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) subject to policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12, with an exception that import of pomegranate seeds is Free.

What this is
HSN code
1209 99 90
Chapter
12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants
Primary regulator
FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from FSSAI
  • Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
  • ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT
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. 1
    Obtain the FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS); both documents must be present before customs out-of-charge is granted.
    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. 2
    Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import entry points per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm the import policy status: this CTI is Restricted subject to policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12, except pomegranate seeds which are importable Free.
    General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12
  3. 3
    Ensure labelling complies with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses before inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker that does not alter the original label, per the FSSAI and CBIC rectifiable-labelling dispensation.
    CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is assuming that the Restricted-import status under ITC (HS) policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12 applies uniformly across all seeds within this residual heading. Pomegranate seeds are explicitly carved out as Free-import, while all other seeds under this CTI remain Restricted — misclassifying the commodity within the residual heading at the bill of entry stage triggers detention and possible DGFT enforcement before FSSAI clearance is even reached. Confirm the specific seed variety against the policy condition before shipment.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 1209 99 90 require BIS certification?
No, seeds, fruit and spores for sowing are 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 the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy overlay administered by DGFT under policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12.
Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this tariff line?
The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; out-of-charge will not be granted until both are verified per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
Are pomegranate seeds freely importable under this CTI?
Yes. The ITC (HS) import policy explicitly carves out pomegranate seeds as Free import, while all other seeds falling under HSN 1209 99 90 remain Restricted subject to policy condition no. 4 of Chapter 12.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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ChapterChapter 12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plantsHSNSEEDS, FRUIT AND SPORES, OF A KIND USED FOR SOWINGHSNOther: