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Food and farm goods

Import almonds

India’s largest dry-fruit import. Fixed duty per kg, FSSAI clearance at the port, almost all of it from the USA.

Free to importHS 0802.11 / 0802.12
Basic customs duty
₹35/kg
Rs 35 per kg (in shell); Rs 100 per kg (shelled)
Social welfare surcharge
10% of BCD
IGST
5%
5%
India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 1.43 bn
from 9 countries

These specific rates were the effective rates under notification 45/2025-Customs and became the tariff rates from 1 May 2026 (Finance Bill 2026, Fifth Schedule) with no change in what you pay. Because the duty is per kg, cheaper grades carry a higher duty as a share of value. Notification 11/2021-Customs (as first issued) has no AIDC entry for almonds — check the effective rate on ICEGATE before you price. IGST on dried nuts is 5% from 22 Sep 2025 (GST rate change); confirm on ICEGATE. CBIC — Notification 45/2025-Customs (effective duty rates), 24 Oct 2025, as amended ↗

What is imported

India imports almonds mainly in shell for cracking and grading here, and some shelled kernels. In FY 2025-26 imports under 0802 11/12 were worth about US$ 1.43 billion, and the USA supplied close to 88% of that by value (TradeStat). Buyers are dry-fruit wholesalers in Delhi (Khari Baoli), Mumbai and Amritsar, and food processors.

Import policy · Free to import

Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 1, subject to FSSAI import clearance and plant quarantine release at the port.

Licences and registrations you need

  • FSSAICentral licence for food importers (FoSCoS), then a No Objection Certificate for each consignment through FICS at the port.fics.fssai.gov.in ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (PPQS)Import permit where the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 requires one, plus inspection and release at the port. Apply on PQMS before shipment.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗
  • Legal Metrology (Consumer Affairs)Importer registration under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules if you import or sell retail packs.consumeraffairs.nic.in ↗

What is checked at the port

  • FSSAI sampling and testing for aflatoxin, moisture and pesticide residues before the NOC is issued.
  • Plant quarantine inspection against the phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country.
  • Customs checks the declared weight (duty is per kg) and whether goods are in shell or shelled.
  • Label check: importer name and address, FSSAI licence number and the Indian label rules for pre-packed food.

Practical tips

  • Buy against a written grade and size specification (for example US grade and count per ounce) and ask for a pre-shipment quality report.
  • Ask the supplier for an aflatoxin test report from an accredited lab for the same lot; it reduces the risk of FSSAI rejection.
  • Start with one container through an experienced customs broker who already files FSSAI cases at your port.

Where new importers go wrong

  • Applying for the FSSAI licence after the cargo lands — the goods sit at the port and demurrage builds up.
  • Shipping without enough shelf life left; FSSAI expects a minimum remaining shelf life at import.
  • Misdeclaring shelled kernels as in-shell to pay the lower per-kg duty — this leads to confiscation and penalty.
Sources (8)
  1. CBIC — Notification 45/2025-Customs (effective duty rates), 24 Oct 2025, as amended
  2. Finance Bill 2026 — Fifth Schedule (tariff rates from 1 May 2026)
  3. Notification 11/2021-Customs — effective rates of Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (as first issued)
  4. CBIC — Customs Tariff of India (as on 30.06.2025)
  5. FSSAI — Food Import Clearance System (FICS)
  6. Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS)
  7. Commerce Ministry TradeStat — commodity-wise imports by country (FY 2025-26)
  8. ICEGATE — Customs duty and tariff look-up

Import data

Where India buys almonds

India’s imports from the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, financial years.

Imports, 2025-26
US$ 1.43 bn
Change from 2024-25
+27.3%
Supplying countries
9
Biggest supplier
United States of America
88%
United States of America: US$ 1.25 bnAustralia: US$ 99.9 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 27.1 mnCanada: US$ 860kVietnam: US$ 480kUnited States of America: US$ 1.25 bnUnited States of AmericaAustralia: US$ 99.9 mnAustraliaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 27.1 mnUnited Arab EmiratesCanada: US$ 860kVietnam: US$ 480kVietnamIndia
Where India imports almonds from — among our 30 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 930 mn9302020-212021-22: US$ 990 mn9902021-222022-23: US$ 1.01 bn1.0k2022-232023-24: US$ 1.03 bn1.0k2023-242024-25: US$ 1.12 bn1.1k2024-252025-26: US$ 1.43 bn1.4k2025-26
India’s almonds imports · US$ million

Biggest supplying countries

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 1.25 bn+33.1%
2AustraliaUS$ 99.9 mn-7.6%
3United Arab EmiratesUS$ 27.1 mn+36%
4AfghanistanUS$ 22.7 mn-14%
5IranUS$ 21.7 mn+1.6%
6SyriaUS$ 1.4 mn+25.9%
7CanadaUS$ 860k-27.7%
8VietnamUS$ 480k-25%
9TürkiyeUS$ 290k-50%
10Georgia——
11Spain——

Which sources are growing and shrinking

Growing sources

  1. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 19.9 mn → US$ 27.1 mn+36%
  2. United States of AmericaUS$ 943 mn → US$ 1.25 bn+33.1%

Shrinking sources

  1. AfghanistanUS$ 26.5 mn → US$ 22.7 mn-14%

Which forms come in, and at what price

Imports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Almonds frsh or driedin shell0802 11 00US$ 1.36 bn+30.6%2,80,819 tonnesUS$ 4.83 per kg
Shelled almonds frsh or dried0802 12 00US$ 73.4 mn-13.5%7,582 tonnesUS$ 9.69 per kg

Source: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

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