Import duty on pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper from Dubai (UAE) to India
HS 09041120 · Dubai / UAE → India · PEPPER OF THE GENUS PIPER
Data last updated: · MFN duty & IGST verified against ICEGATE (Indian Customs EDI). CEPA preferential rate per the India–UAE CEPA schedule. Verify your exact HS line before filing.
No CEPA benefit
This line is excluded from India's India–UAE CEPA tariff offer, so the 70% MFN basic customs duty applies regardless of origin. The goods are normally importable — there is simply no preferential rate to claim.
Duty breakdown on a ₹10,00,000 shipment
Enter your own value to recalculate the table below.
| Component | Standard (MFN) | CEPA |
|---|---|---|
| Basic customs duty | ₹7,00,000 | ₹7,00,000 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | ₹70,000 | ₹70,000 |
| IGST | ₹88,500 | ₹88,500 |
| Total duty | ₹8,58,500 | ₹8,58,500 |
CEPA duty saving on this example: ₹0 (no basic-duty benefit at these rates). Run your own numbers in the import-duty estimator. New to BCD, SWS and IGST? See the glossary.
What drives the rate
Importing pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper (HS 09041120) from the UAE to India attracts a 70% MFN basic customs duty, and CEPA does not reduce it — this line is excluded from India's tariff offer, so the 70% MFN rate applies whatever the origin. Light black pepper is protected against cheaper Vietnamese and Indonesian origin for the benefit of growers in Kerala and Karnataka, and CEPA does not open it. Annex 2A carries EXC in all ten year columns, so this is a standing exclusion rather than a rate awaiting phase-down. The 5% IGST applies. The more important point is that pepper carries a policy overlay that can stop a consignment the tariff would have allowed: a Minimum Import Price condition applies, and shipments invoiced below the notified threshold are not permitted at all, whatever duty is offered or claimed. Satisfying the duty does not satisfy the MIP, and the two move independently — the MIP is revised by notification while the tariff sits still. Add the FSSAI import licence, consignment-level food-import clearance with residue testing, and the Plant Quarantine permit and phytosanitary certificate, and the customs line is the least of the gates. Check the live MIP notification before contracting, not before filing. There is no basic-duty gap to claim on this line at current rates, so a Certificate of Origin buys nothing here today; it is worth re-checking when either the MFN rate or the CEPA schedule moves. Social Welfare Surcharge adds 10% on the basic duty, not on the goods, and IGST of 5% then applies to the CIF + BCD + SWS total — IGST is recoverable as input tax credit, but the basic duty here is a real, unrecoverable cost. Confirm the live rate on ICEGATE before filing; ₹10,00,000 is only the worked example above.
Import compliance & clearances
Beyond duty, importing pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper (HS 09041120) into India requires the following regulatory clearances. The CEPA preferential rate does not waive any of these — they apply regardless of origin.
- DGFT Valid IEC (Importer-Exporter Code) required; ITC(HS) import policy: Free source ↗
- FSSAI Importer must hold a valid FSSAI licence; every consignment is cleared through FSSAI food-import at the port source ↗
- Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) Import permit and phytosanitary certificate under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003 source ↗
- DGFT A Minimum Import Price condition applies — consignments invoiced below the notified MIP threshold are not permitted, irrespective of the duty rate claimed. source ↗
- FSSAI An FSSAI import licence and food-import clearance are required, with labelling, additive and residue compliance verified at the port before release. source ↗
Indicative and non-exhaustive — verify the current DGFT / BIS / FSSAI / CDSCO notification for your exact 8-digit HS line before importing. Not customs or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the import duty on pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper from the UAE to India?
- The basic customs duty is 70%. This line is largely excluded from India–UAE CEPA, so no preferential rate applies. SWS adds 10% on the basic duty and 5% IGST applies on top.
- How much can CEPA save on pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper?
- At current rates there is no basic-duty saving on this line under CEPA, so the landed duty is the same as the MFN route.
- What do I need to claim the CEPA rate on pepper, neither crushed nor ground — light black pepper?
- A valid preferential Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) proving UAE origin under the Rules of Origin. Without it, customs charges the 70% MFN rate.