🌾 Agricultural and food exports
Exporting Agricultural and Food Products from India: HS Codes, APEDA and Export Policy
By Abhishek Sadashiv · 16 years of experience in global logistics · Updated 24 September 2026 · 9 min read
India is one of the world's largest exporters of rice, spices and many other farm products. But agri-food exports carry their own risks: export policy can change quickly, several registrations are needed, and buyers' countries check residues and paperwork closely.
This guide covers rice, spices, pulses, fresh produce and processed foods.
Where these products are classified
| Product type | Chapter |
|---|---|
| Vegetables, pulses | 07 |
| Fruits and nuts | 08 |
| Coffee, tea and spices | 09 |
| Cereals, including rice | 10 |
| Flours and milled products | 11 |
| Oilseeds | 12 |
| Sugar | 17 |
| Processed foods | 19–21 |
Rice shows why the 8-digit code matters. Heading 1006 separates paddy, brown rice, milled rice and broken rice, and within milled rice India has separate lines for basmati, parboiled and other non-basmati rice. Export policy and benefits can differ line by line.
Registrations you need
| Registration | Status | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| IEC (Importer-Exporter Code) | 🔴 Mandatory | Every exporter, issued by DGFT and updated every year. |
| APEDA RCMC | 🔴 Mandatory for APEDA products | Exporters of products under APEDA, such as rice, fresh produce and many processed foods. |
| Spices Board registration (CRES) | 🔴 Mandatory for spices | Every exporter of spices. |
| FSSAI licence | 🔴 Mandatory for food businesses | Food exporters need an FSSAI licence. |
| Tea Board, Coffee Board and similar | 🟠 Check | Needed for specific commodities. |
| Phytosanitary certificate | 🟠 Check | Usually required by the buyer's country for plant products. Issued by the Plant Quarantine Organisation. |
| Certificate of origin | 🟠 Check | Needed to claim FTA benefits in the buyer's country. |
| Export inspection / health certificate | 🟠 Check | Some markets and products need inspection by the Export Inspection Council or a health certificate. |
🔴 Mandatory · 🟠 Check · 🟢 Not required
Export policy: check before you sign
DGFT's export policy (Schedule 2 of ITC-HS) marks each code as Free, Restricted, Prohibited or reserved for state trading. For food products, the government often changes it to manage domestic prices. Between 2022 and 2024, for example, India imposed and later relaxed export bans, minimum export prices (MEP) and export duties on several types of rice.
Always check the latest DGFT notification for your exact 8-digit code before you sign a contract or book freight.
Export benefits
Depending on the product and code, exporters may claim RoDTEP (remission of duties and taxes on exported products) and duty drawback. Rates are set per HS code, which is another reason the 8-digit code must be exact.
Common mistakes
- Wrong 8-digit code, for example basmati vs non-basmati, which can change the policy and benefits.
- Signing contracts without checking current policy, then facing a ban, MEP or duty before shipment.
- Shipping before registrations are in place, such as the RCMC, which can affect benefits.
- Pesticide residue rejections in the buyer's country. Test against their limits, not only Indian ones.
- Missing phytosanitary or fumigation certificates, which can hold cargo at the destination.
Check your exact product
EximSetu gives the 8-digit code, the export policy status, and the registrations and certificates you need, for your exact product and destination.
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16 years of experience in global logistics
Built EximSetu after 16 years in global logistics, watching shipments get held, reassessed or delayed because of a wrong HS code or a missed compliance step. Every guide here is written from that experience, for the people who actually move cargo.
Frequently asked questions
▸Which registrations do I need to export rice from India?
An IEC from DGFT, RCMC from APEDA, and an FSSAI licence. You will usually also need a phytosanitary certificate and a certificate of origin, depending on the buyer's country.
▸Is Spices Board registration mandatory for spice exporters?
Yes. Exporters of spices need a Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES) from the Spices Board.
▸Why does rice export policy keep changing?
The government adjusts export policy to manage domestic food prices and supply. In recent years this has included bans, minimum export prices and export duties on some rice types, so check the latest DGFT notification before contracting.
More guides
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and rates change; always confirm for your exact product with your customs broker or the official notification.