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Import export policy: Plant products (HS 6 to 14)
Is import or export free, restricted or prohibited for plant products? HS chapters 6 to 14: what each covers, DGFT policy lines, which licences apply and FY 2025-26 trade values.
Official sources checked: 2 Oct 2026
Section II of the Harmonised System covers plant products. For each chapter below you see what it covers, whether export or import is free, restricted or prohibited in the DGFT documents we read, which India-side licences usually apply, and the official trade values for FY 2025-26.
| HS chapter | Exports, US$ million | Imports, US$ million | Export policy | Import policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6: Live plants and flowers | 93 | 76 | Free in general | 2 restricted code(s) |
| 7: Vegetables | 2,258 | 3,652 | Free in general | 7 restricted code(s) |
| 8: Fruit and nuts | 1,891 | 5,870 | Free in general | 6 prohibited code(s) |
| 9: Coffee, tea and spices | 5,424 | 1,282 | Free in general | 11 restricted code(s), 10 prohibited code(s) |
| 10: Cereals | 12,007 | 125 | Has restricted, prohibited or STE lines | 15 restricted code(s) |
| 11: Milling products | 626 | 124 | Free in general | 2 restricted code(s) |
| 12: Oil seeds and plants | 1,956 | 866 | Has restricted, prohibited or STE lines | 17 restricted code(s) |
| 13: Lac, gums and resins | 1,211 | 437 | Free in general | 1 restricted code(s) |
| 14: Other plant materials | 44 | 132 | Free in general | Free in general |
Trade values are in US$ million for the financial year 2025-26 (April 2025 to March 2026), as published by TradeStat, Department of Commerce (data from DGCI&S) and fetched on 2026-10-02. They can be revised later. Shares and changes are calculated from those figures. Year-on-year change compares 2025-26 with 2024-25.
"Free in general" means we found no restricted, prohibited or STE line for this chapter. Policy changes by DGFT notification. The import notes come from DGFT's lists of restricted (407 codes) and prohibited (88 codes) imports, both as on 12 June 2019. The export notes come from DGFT's chapter-wise export schedule, 2021 edition. Check your 8-digit code on DGFT's policy search for the current position.
Chapter by chapter
Chapter 6: Live plants and flowers
Bulbs, live plants, cut flowers and ornamental foliage.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 93 million, +4.5% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): USA (21), Netherlands (16), UAE (9), UK (5).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 76 million, +15.0% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Italy (25), China (15), Netherlands (14), Thailand (5).
- Restricted: chicory plants and roots, and cactus.
Usually needed: Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 7: Vegetables
Fresh, chilled or dried vegetables, potatoes, onions, peas, beans, roots and tubers.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 2,258 million, +3.0% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): UAE (289), China (239), Bangladesh (158), Malaysia (137).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 3,652 million, -34.7% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Myanmar (960), Australia (757), Canada (618), Mozambique (356).
- Restricted: potatoes (fresh or chilled), peas, beans of the Vigna species and pigeon peas.
Usually needed: FSSAI, Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 8: Fruit and nuts
Fresh or dried fruit, cashew, almonds, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, citrus and melons.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 1,891 million, +11.6% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): UAE (287), Netherlands (249), Iraq (226), Vietnam (126).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: CEPCI, APEDA, Coconut Board, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 5,870 million, +23.8% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): USA (1,426), Tanzania Rep (426), Afghanistan (412), UAE (385).
- Cashew kernels and areca nuts are listed with a prohibition unless the CIF value is above the minimum amount per kilogram the list states.
Usually needed: FSSAI, Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 9: Coffee, tea and spices
Coffee, tea, pepper, cardamom, chilli, turmeric, ginger, cumin and other spices.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 5,424 million, +1.1% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): UAE (597), China (451), USA (407), Italy (353).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: Coffee Board, Spices Board, Tea Board, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 1,282 million, -4.2% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Vietnam (290), Indonesia (229), Kenya (138), Nepal (104).
- Restricted: seeds of anise, badian, coriander and some other spices.
- Pepper is listed with a prohibition unless the CIF value is above a minimum per kilogram, with exceptions for imports under Advance Authorisation, 100% EOUs and SEZ units.
Usually needed: FSSAI, Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 10: Cereals
Wheat, rice, maize, millets, barley and other grains.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 12,007 million, -5.8% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): Saudi Arabia (1,078), Iran (810), UAE (723), Benin (676).
- Rice of seed quality, and rice in husk (paddy or rough) other than seed quality, are shown as Restricted in this edition: export is permitted under licence. DGFT revises rice export conditions by notification, so check the current policy before you quote a price.
Usually needed: APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate, DGFT policy lines
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 125 million, -68.4% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Australia (43), France (20), Argentina (19), Myanmar (12).
- Restricted: durum wheat and seed-quality wheat, meslin, rye and other grains of seed quality (15 codes).
Usually needed: FSSAI, Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 11: Milling products
Flour, meal, malt, starches and wheat gluten.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 626 million, -13.9% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): Germany (104), Malaysia (96), USA (48), UAE (32).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 124 million, +13.5% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Sri Lanka (34), China (22), Chile (16), Russia (9).
- Restricted: flour, meal and powder of sago, and dried roots and tubers.
Usually needed: FSSAI, Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 12: Oil seeds and plants
Soyabeans, groundnuts, sesame, seeds for sowing, medicinal and industrial plants, straw and fodder.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 1,956 million, -8.1% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): USA (201), Indonesia (196), Vietnam (168), UAE (118).
- Onion seeds are Prohibited. Seeds of wild wheat and wild paddy varieties, cashew seeds and plants, Egyptian clover seeds, pepper cuttings, seeds of forestry species, saffron, nux vomica, and sea weeds (other than the processed brown sea weeds and agarophytes of Tamil Nadu coast origin) are Restricted.
- Plants and plant portions of wild origin of species in the Wild Life (Protection) Act schedules are Prohibited. Special exemption can be granted for research, education and life-saving drugs by DGFT.
Usually needed: IOPEPC, APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate, DGFT policy lines
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 866 million, -4.9% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Brazil (127), Niger (69), Ghana (63), Thailand (59).
- Restricted: seed-quality soyabeans, groundnut, linseed and other oil seeds (17 codes).
Usually needed: Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 13: Lac, gums and resins
Shellac, gum arabic, vegetable saps, extracts and opium.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 1,211 million, +7.4% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): USA (384), Germany (104), Russia (78), China (63).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: Shefexil, APEDA, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 437 million, +10.7% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): Afghanistan (147), China (42), Indonesia (35), Mali (35).
- Restricted: opium.
Usually needed: Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed), DGFT policy lines
Chapter 14: Other plant materials
Plaiting materials and vegetable products not covered elsewhere.
Exports from India
FY 2025-26: US$ 44 million, -5.5% on 2024-25. Largest destinations (US$ million): Japan (6), China (5), Spain (4), Bhutan (3).
- No restricted, prohibited or STE line found for this chapter in the schedule we read.
Usually needed: FIEO, Phytosanitary certificate
Imports into India
FY 2025-26: US$ 132 million, +4.0% on 2024-25. Largest sources (US$ million): China (74), Nepal (28), Vietnam (19), Indonesia (7).
- No restricted or prohibited code in this chapter on DGFT's 2019 lists.
Usually needed: Plant quarantine, Legal Metrology (if packed)
Common questions
Is export of plant products free?
Is import of plant products free?
Where do I check the current policy?
Is Govt License a government website?
Related guides
Official sources for this page
- DGFT list of restricted items for import (407 codes, as on 12 June 2019)
- DGFT list of prohibited items for import (88 codes, updated 12 June 2019)
- DGFT ITC (HS) Schedule 2: chapter-wise Export Policy (2021 edition)
- DGFT ITC (HS) 2022 Schedule 1: General Notes regarding Import Policy
- DGFT ITC (HS) Schedule 2: General Notes to Export Policy
- DGFT Appendix 2T: list of Export Promotion Councils and Commodity Boards
- TradeStat, Department of Commerce (data from DGCI&S)
- DGFT ITC (HS) import and export policy search