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HS 0904.11Agriculture

HS Code for Black Pepper (HS 0904.11)

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is the world's most traded spice by value. Vietnam alone supplies ~40% of global exports. EU market entry gates on Salmonella (Reg 2073/2005) and mycotoxins - aflatoxin B1 max 5 μg/kg, total 10 μg/kg (Reg 2023/915).

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules2 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
0904.11Pepper of genus Piper, neither crushed nor ground
0904.12Pepper of genus Piper, crushed or ground
0904.21Fruits of genus Capsicum/Pimenta, dried, whole
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
MFN zero; sanitary controls.
United States
0%
India (BCD)
70%
Highest to protect Kerala growers; SAARC preference limited.
UAE
0%
GCC food-security zero rate.

Worked landed-cost example

18 MT ASTA-clean 550 g/l, FOB Ho Chi Minh USD 6.20/kg, CIF Rotterdam

FOBUSD 111,600
Freight + insuranceUSD 3,400
CIFUSD 115,000
EU dutyUSD 0
Sanitary sampling & steam sterilisationUSD 900
EU landed USD 115,900 - reject risk on Salmonella is the main P&L variable.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · EU Reg 2023/915 - aflatoxin B1 5 μg/kg, total 10 μg/kg.
  • · EU Reg 2073/2005 - Salmonella absence in 25 g.
  • · ESA (European Spice Association) cleanliness specifications.
Top exporting countries
  • · Vietnam
  • · Indonesia
  • · Brazil
  • · India
  • · Sri Lanka

Frequently asked questions

ASTA vs FAQ specification?

ASTA (American Spice Trade Assoc.) is the cleaner-grade spec: max 1% extraneous matter, 550+ g/l bulk density. FAQ (Fair Average Quality) allows up to 2% and is discounted USD 200-400/MT.

Destination market toolkits

Country-specific duty, VAT/GST and Incoterms practice for the top destinations for agriculture.

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into United Arab Emirates →
VAT · 5% standard
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Vietnam →
VAT · 10% standard, 5% reduced, 0% export
Import into Brazil →
ICMS (state) + PIS/COFINS (federal) · ICMS 17-19% (varies by state); PIS 2.1%; COFINS 9.65%

Agriculture landed-cost pages: every destination market

Jump straight to the agriculture import guide for any of the destination markets we cover.

Related commodity guides

HS 1201Agriculture
HS Code for Soybeans (HS 1201) - EUDR Guide →
HS 2304Agriculture
HS Code for Soybean Meal (HS 2304.00) →
HS 0901.11Agriculture
HS Code for Robusta Coffee (HS 0901.11) →
HS 1805Agriculture
HS Code for Cocoa Powder (HS 1805.00) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
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Import Duty & Tax →
Landed cost with duty, VAT/GST and cess.
Landed Cost by HS & Country →
Duty + VAT/GST + Incoterm split for this HS.
CIF ↔ FOB Converter →
Convert customs value between Incoterms.

Sources & citations

Duty rates and regulations compiled from WCO HS, WTO integrated database, national customs authorities and published FTA schedules. Provided for decision-support only - confirm the 10-digit line and current preferential status with your licensed customs broker before acting.

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