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India Implements New Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Code for GI-Tagged Rice Varieties.

National | Dated: 12 Feb 2025

On February 1, 2025, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance (MoF), proposed an amendment to the Customs Tariff Act to assign Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes to Geographical Indication (GI)-recognized rice varieties during the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26). The HSN code is a numerical classification system used in global trade.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - This amendment introduces specific Harmonized System (HS) codes for the export of rice varieties recognized under the GI registry.
  • - This marks the first instance globally of assigning HS codes to GI-tagged rice, aiming to streamline exports and ensure traceability.
  • - The newly introduced HS codes for GI-recognized rice varieties are 1006-30-11 for Parboiled rice and 1006-30-91 for White rice, allowing their export without special notifications from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) As of March 2020, the Indian Patent Office had granted GI tags to 20 rice varieties, including Navara, Palakkadan Matta, Pokkali, Wayanad Jeerakasala, Wayanad Gandhakasala, Kalanamak, Kaipad, Ajara Ghansal, Ambemohar, Joha, Gobindobog, Tulapanji, Katarni, Chokuwa, Bhadara Chinoor, Mushqbudji, Marcha, Khaw Tai (Khamti), Lal Chawl, and Kalonunia.
  • (ii) Between April 2023 and March 2024, additional rice varieties such as Bhadara Chinoor, Mushqbudji, Marcha, Khaw Tai (Khamti), Uttarakhand’s Lal Chawl, Kalonunia, and Koraput Kalajeera received GI tags. Additionally, Andaman Karen Musley Rice, cultivated by the Karen community in the Andaman Islands, recently received a GI tag.
  • (iii) The Harmonized System (HS), developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), is a globally recognized product classification system that assigns specific 6-digit codes to commodities, facilitating 98% of international trade across over 200 countries and economies. Governed by the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, it categorizes more than 5,000 commodity groups, ensuring standardized trade classification worldwide.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which country recently implemented a new Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) code for GI-tagged rice varieties?

Correct Answer: India

🚀 Quick Recap:

About World Customs Organization (WCO)

  • Secretary-General : Ian Clifton Saunders
  • Headquarters : Brussels, Belgium