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Comm min expects to issue 20,000 status holder certificates to exporters

The Commerce Ministry, which automated the process for issuance of exporter status certificates, is expected to issue about 20,000 such documents by the end of this year, a senior official said on Wednesday. Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said this would be a big jump in the issuance of these certificates, and so far, they have issued over 40,200 status-holder certificates. "There are another 2,000 applications, which are under scrutiny because of their prior history. But ultimately, those will also get issued, and by the end of this year, we expect about 20,000 status holders to be recognised through this automated process," he told reporters here. Last month, DGFT said that an exporter status certificate will now be issued based on the available electronic data, and traders will not have to apply to get the recognition. These certificates provide certain privileges, including simplified procedures under foreign trade policy (FTP), priority custom .

Exporters should help EODC camps succeed

The DGFT has now brought into sharp focus the urgency to deal with the EODC applications quickly and get the statuses of the authorisations updated where the EODCs are issued

Change in rules for laptop, PC imports to boost manufacturing: GTRI

Tweaking of licensing rules by the commerce ministry's arm DGFT for imports of certain IT hardware products like laptop and computers will help boost domestic manufacturing, think tank GTRI said on Friday. Grant of exception to laptops and tablets assembled in special economic zones (SEZs) from import restrictions would make a significant shift in India's electronics manufacturing landscape, Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. The government on Thursday tweaked the cumbersome licensing norms for import of these products and put in place an online authorisation system for importers. The new licensing or authorisation regime is primarily aimed at monitoring imports of these products to ensure that they are coming from trusted sources. These regulations are set to come into force on November 1 and are poised to reshape the industry until September 2024, it said. "Local suppliers now have two routes to procure laptops for the Indian market - they can buy laptops from firms .

Food prices to remain stable during festival season, says food secretary

The government has recently used all tools at its command, whether trade policy or stock limit norms. These tools have been used judiciously to ensure prices remain stable, Chopra noted

Weekly India-UK FTA meets taking place, ironing out differences: Govt

The government is working on an import management system - laptops, tablets, and other IT hardware - and it will come into effect on November 1

Annual registration required for IT hardware importers under new system

This policy change comes against the backdrop of proposed import curbs on laptops and IT hardware, slated to take effect from 1 November

Commerce Ministry opens applications for registration to import IT hardware

The registration plan comes after the Centre decided to delay the requirement of licenses for such imports

PC, laptop import restrictions: Govt hints at breather; no date for curbs

Laptop, tablet, PC, and small server makers need to register on DGFT platform starting Nov 1

Keeping a tab on IT hardware imports: Govt looks at SIMS for template

May mandate prior registration of India-bound items

IT hardware companies may be asked to register for imports in FY24: Report

This comes a month after the DGFT announced that the import of certain IT hardware products, including laptops, tablets, PCs, servers, etc., would fall under the restricted category

Govt to ensure enhanced export control of dual-use items: Official

The government will ensure enhanced export control of dual-use items so that these do not fall into the hands of non-state actors and terrorists, Director General of Foreign Trade Santosh Sarangi said on Friday. Dual-use items are those which are used for civilian and non-civilian purposes. Speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce here, Sarangi said India is now a part of several multi-lateral groupings like Australia Group. "Enhanced export controls will ensure that these dual-use items do not fall into the hands of non-state actors and terrorists," he said. Sarangi also said the DGFT prepares a special SCOMET (speciality chemicals, organisms, materials, equipment and technologies) list of dual-use items after inter-ministerial consultations. "We have a strict regime of export controls of dual-use items. We also see the countries and the frequency at which these items are sent," he said. Also at the same time, the government is taking steps to facilitate more exports of these

Govt to tap districts for enhancing exports: DGFT Santosh Sarangi

Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Sarangi on Friday said that the government will go to the districts to enhance exports. Seventy districts in the country account for 80 per cent of the country's exports total exports, he told reporters at the Indian Chamber of Commerce here. In West Bengal, two districts - Darjeeling and Howrah have been identified for the purpose so far. Darjeeling for tea and Howrah for jewellery and engineering goods. Export plans for them have also been adopted, Sarangi added. "Districts have a huge potential for increasing exports. Only 70 districts account for 80 per cent of the total exports of the country," he said. DGFT, which is under the commerce ministry, formulates the country's trade policy and also implements it. Sarangi said India has a huge potential for export of electronic items, white goods and processed foods and with the kind of growth rates which the country is clocking for the last 15 years, it can aspire to become a ...

Govt defers implementation of laptop, PCs import restrictions to Nov 1

Import consignments can be cleared till October 31 without a license for restricted imports

Centre extends deadline for track and trace system for pharma exports

The extension applies to both Small Scale Industries (SSI) and non-SSI manufactured drugs

Govt bans exports of non-basmati white rice to boost domestic supply

The government on Thursday prohibited export of non-basmati white rice, according to a notification of the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT). "Export policy of non-basmati white rice (semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed)...is amended from free to prohibited," the DGFT said in a notification. However, it said that the consignments of this rice will be allowed to be exported under certain conditions such as where loading of this rice on the ship has commenced before this notification. Export will also be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments, it added.

Govt eases norms to avail benefits under advance authorisation scheme

The government on Monday simplified norms for exporters to avail benefits of an advance authorisation scheme under which free imports of input materials are allowed. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) implements this scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy. The eligibility of inputs is determined by sector-specific norms committees based on input-output norms. To make the norms fixation process more efficient, the DGFT said that it has created a user-friendly and searchable database of ad-hoc norms fixed in the previous years. These norms can be used by any exporter without approaching the norms committee, it added. The database is hosted on the DGFT website (https://dgft.gov.in) and allows users to search using export or import item descriptions, technical characteristics, or Indian tariff classification codes. "This trade facilitation measure simplifies the advance authorisation and norms fixation process, resulting in shorter turnaround times for exporters, improved

Govt authorises DGFT for TRQ items allocation under new India-Nepal Treaty

The commerce ministry's arm DGFT has been authorised to allocate and monitor imports of 10,000 tonne of copper products and 2,500 tonne of zinc oxide from Nepal under a concessional customs duty provision of a treaty between the countries, according to a public notice. The directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) will be the designated authority for allocation and monitoring of all TRQ (tariff rate quota) items under the revised India-Nepal Treaty. Under TRQ, a specified quantity of an item is allowed for export or import at concessional customs duties. Beyond that quantity, the product attracts normal duties. "DGFT is authorised for allocation and monitor of 10,000 MT of TRQ of copper products...and 2500 MT of zinc oxide from Nepal," the public notice said on Thursday. It said the allocated quota to each manufacturer/exporter on a quarterly basis would be communicated by the designated authority of Nepal to DGFT. Imports will be permitted through the land customs stations at .

Robust trade ecosystem crucial to achieve $2 trn exports by 2030: DGFT

A robust and easy trade finance ecosystem is important for India to achieve the USD 2 trillion exports target by 2030, a senior government official said on Thursday. Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) S C Aggarwal said easy availability of affordable trade finance helps promote export competitiveness. Traders and the government have to work on issues like obtaining easy finance both for domestic and cross-border trade, he said. "A robust and easy trade finance ecosystem is very important for moving us to achieve this goal (of USD 2 trillion)," Aggarwal said here at an event. India has set an ambitious target to take its total goods and services exports to USD 2 trillion by 2030. According to the commerce ministry's data, exports of goods and services in 2022-23 rose 14.68 per cent to USD 775.87 billion as against USD 676.53 billion in 2021-22. He suggested the industry to focus on how to make it easier to get the finance and ways to strengthen this ecosystem.

Test cough syrups for exports on top priority: DCGI amid contamination row

With India making testing of cough syrups before export mandatory from June 1, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked specified state laboratories to examine such samples from manufacturers on "top priority and issue the test report at the earliest". Cough syrup exporters will have to produce a certificate of analysis issued by a government laboratory before the product is exported, effective June 1, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification on Monday. The move came amid instances of quality concerns being raised abroad on cough syrups exported by Indian firms. "The export of cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to export samples being tested and production of a certificate of analysis issued by any of the laboratories..., with effect from June 1, 2023," the notification stated. On Wednesday, the country's top drug regulaor, DCGI, wrote to state drug controllers of Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

Tweaks in quality norms will drive the pharma product exports higher: DGFT

More pharmaceutical products can be brought under mandatory quality improvement norms if needed to comply with global standards for export from India if the health ministry issues an advice in this regard, a top official said on Tuesday. Director General Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said all pharmaceutical products must meet global standards and quality requirements. His remarks come a day after the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in a notification said cough syrup exporters will have to undertake testing of their products at specified government laboratories from June 1 before getting permission for the outbound shipments. The direction came in the wake of quality concerns raised globally for cough syrups exported by Indian firms. "This is a continuous effort which has been started with cough syrup. It is our endeavour that any cough syrup exported from India must meet minimum benchmark requirement of quality standards. Therefore they will be exported after bein