Regulation
DGFT notifications, customs process and compliance changes — what moved, and what it means if you are mid-shipment.
Regulation
9 postsThe 31 August export-obligation deadline is now close
DGFT automatically extended specified Advance Authorisation and EPCG export-obligation periods to 31 August 2026. Who is covered, what the extension does not fix, and the file exporters should assemble now.
RegulationCountry of origin is not the country on the shipping label
A 2026 DRI seizure at Kandla shows why routing goods through a third country does not change origin. The evidence Indian importers should verify before shipment.
RegulationPre-shipment inspection now applies to steel and aluminium imports
A certificate from a DGFT-empanelled agency, three to five days of lead time and a per-shipment cost. If you import steel or aluminium into Punjab, this one is yours.
RegulationDGFT stopped accepting paper on 1 June 2026
Scheme renewals, EPCG closures, revalidations — all of it now goes through the portal. No physical applications, no email. What to check before you need something.
RegulationLaptops, tablets and servers still need import authorisation
The Import Management System continues through 2026. Application window, validity dates, and why the authorisation expiry is the date that catches people.
RegulationE-invoicing, the 30-day rule, and why importers get caught
The threshold has come down to five crore. There is also a 30-day upload deadline that is less well known and rejects invoices outright once missed.
RegulationICEGATE 2.0 and the 48-hour clearance target
India is aiming to cut average customs clearance from three or four days to forty-eight hours. Whether you get that depends almost entirely on what you send your broker.
RegulationJewellery went from Free to Restricted overnight. The lesson is not about jewellery.
The notification applied regardless of prior contracts, letters of credit, advance payments or shipment status. That last clause is the one every importer should read.
RegulationThe export obligation window dropped to 12 months
For most sectors the period shortened from eighteen months, and missing it carries interest at fifteen percent on the duty saved. Worth recalculating your position.