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Exporting consumer products from India

Exports from India are free unless the ITC(HS) export policy restricts them. No export is made without an Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT, the shipping bill is filed electronically with Customs, and certificates of origin are issued through trade.gov.in. Some goods also need a commodity board's registration or Export Inspection Council certification first.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Exporter identity
Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) from DGFT
Export policy
ITC(HS) 2022, Schedule 2
Customs declaration
Shipping bill, filed electronically
Certificates of origin
Issued through trade.gov.in
Export controls
SCOMET List, Appendix 3 to Schedule 2
Food inspection
Export Inspection Council, for notified commodities

By product

What each kind of product needs to leave India.

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Does the business hold an IEC, updated this year, and an RCMC where it needs one? Read more
  2. 2Is the product free, restricted or prohibited for export, and is it on the SCOMET list? Read more
  3. 3Does APEDA, a commodity board or the Export Inspection Council register the exporter or certify the goods? Read more
  4. 4Does the buyer need a certificate of origin, preferential or not? Read more
  5. 5What goes on the shipping bill, and which documents travel with it? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

The IEC and the RCMC

The code every exporting business needs, and the membership certificate that unlocks Foreign Trade Policy schemes.

  • Section 7 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992: no person makes any import or export except under an Importer-exporter Code Number granted by the Director General.
  • No export or import of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) unless specifically exempted (FTP 2023, para 2.05).
  • The IEC is a 10-character code, the same as the firm's PAN, issued separately by DGFT on an online application.
  • The IEC holder updates its details online every year between April and June; an IEC not updated is de-activated.
  • A Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) is needed to apply for an authorisation or any benefit under the Foreign Trade Policy; it comes from the export promotion council or commodity board for the exporter's main line of business.
  • An RCMC is valid for five years from 1 April of the year it is issued. The Spices Board's and Coir Board's exporter certificates count as RCMCs.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the IEC, the RCMC and the yearly IEC update with the exporter's record, dated, and shows what is due before the next shipment. Ask about this

Export policy and SCOMET

Whether the goods may leave at all, on what conditions, and the controls on dual-use items.

  • All goods may be exported without restriction except as the ITC(HS) export policy, the Foreign Trade Policy or another law regulates them (FTP para 2.40).
  • Goods listed as 'Free' are exported without an authorisation but subject to the conditions against their entry; 'Restricted' goods need a restricted export authorisation; 'Prohibited' goods are not exported.
  • The SCOMET list, Appendix 3 to Schedule 2, is India's national export control list of dual-use items, munitions and nuclear-related items, including software and technology. Export is prohibited or permitted under an authorisation unless specifically exempted.
  • Goods packed with wood packaging material are exported in compliance with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM).

How we help: Compliant Always records the ITC(HS) code and the export condition that applies to each product, and shows a condition that has changed since the last shipment. Ask about this

Commodity registration and export inspection

The bodies that register exporters of particular goods, or must certify them before they leave.

  • Exporters of products in the APEDA Act's First Schedule, from fruit and dairy products to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, apply to APEDA for registration within one month of their first export (section 12).
  • No one carries on the business of exporting a scheduled spice except under a certificate from the Spices Board (Spices Board Act, 1986, section 11).
  • No tea is exported unless covered by a licence issued by or on behalf of the Tea Board (Tea Act, 1953, section 17).
  • Under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963, the Central Government notifies commodities that must be inspected before export, and may bar their export without a certificate from a recognised agency.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each registration and inspection certificate with the product and the lot it covers, and shows which ones expire before the shipment leaves. Ask about this

Certificates of origin

Evidence of where the goods come from, to claim a tariff preference or to satisfy a buyer or customs abroad.

  • Certificates of origin for exports from India are issued only by agencies DGFT has authorised, and only through trade.gov.in (FTP para 2.62; HBP para 2.90).
  • IEC holders use the same invoice numbers on the certificate of origin and the shipping bill, so the two can be checked against each other.
  • A non-preferential certificate costs Rs 200; the invoice and packing list are uploaded with the application (HBP para 2.93).
  • Preferential certificates are issued under India's free trade and preferential agreements by the agencies in Appendix 2B. For the India-EFTA TEPA and the India-UK CETA, origin may also rest on the exporter's self-declaration.
  • Exporters registered under the EU's Registered Exporter System (REX) self-certify the statement on origin for goods exported under the EU's GSP scheme; registration is free.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificate of origin with the invoice and shipping bill it matches, and reads it against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Customs clearance for export

The declaration Customs needs before goods are loaded.

  • Mandatory export documents are the bill of lading, airway bill or other transport receipt; the commercial invoice cum packing list; and the shipping bill or bill of export (FTP 2023, para 2.06).
  • The shipping bill is an electronic declaration in the Indian Customs EDI System, entered by the exporter or an authorised customs broker through ICEGATE or a service centre.
  • Where goods carry restrictions or need an NOC under another law, the regulator may notify additional export documents.
  • With the checklist, supporting documents and any duty challan, the proper officer orders clearance for loading, after examining the goods if needed.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the shipping bill with the invoice, packing list and certificates of the same shipment, so an importer's question can be answered from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe IEC, any RCMC or commodity registration, and the shipping bill, under its own IEC.Registrations and certificates kept in one place, with what is expiring shown before a shipment.
ManufacturerIn a third-party export, its name appears beside the third-party exporter's on the shipping bill and other export documents (FTP para 2.42).Manufacturing licences and test reports kept with each lot.
Customs brokerEntering the electronic shipping bill when authorised by the exporter.The documents the broker needs, from the record, for each shipment.
Certifying authorityCertificates of origin (DGFT-authorised agencies), registrations (APEDA, Spices Board, Tea Board) and inspection certificates (Export Inspection Council and agencies).Each certificate read against what the destination asks for, and dated.

Regional offices and boards

DGFT works through regional authorities, which handle IEC matters and issue free sale and commerce certificates; its guide to certificates of origin lists its regional offices, from Ahmedabad to Visakhapatnam, among the issuing authorities.

Commodity bodies sit apart from DGFT: APEDA in New Delhi, the Spices Board in Kochi and the Tea Board in Kolkata, each with its own registration of exporters.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what products have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need an IEC to export from India?
Yes. No export or import of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code unless specifically exempted. The IEC is the firm's PAN, issued by DGFT on an online application, and must be updated online every year between April and June.
What documents are mandatory to export goods from India?
The bill of lading, airway bill or other transport receipt; the commercial invoice cum packing list; and the shipping bill or bill of export (FTP 2023, para 2.06). A regulator may notify more for goods with restrictions.
What is an RCMC and how long is it valid?
A Registration-cum-Membership Certificate from an export promotion council or commodity board. It is needed to claim authorisations or benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy, and is valid for five years from 1 April of the year it is issued.
Who issues certificates of origin in India?
Only agencies authorised by DGFT, listed in Appendices 2B to 2E of the Handbook of Procedures. Applications and certificates go through trade.gov.in; manual issue outside that platform is not permitted.
How much does a non-preferential certificate of origin cost in India?
Rs 200 for each certificate, including attestation of any additional documents. The invoice and packing list are uploaded with the online application (HBP para 2.93).
What is SCOMET?
Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies: India's list of dual-use items, munitions and nuclear-related items, including software and technology. Their export is prohibited or allowed under an authorisation unless specifically exempted.
Can DGFT issue a free sale certificate for export?
Yes. DGFT's regional authorities issue a Free Sale and Commerce Certificate for items not restricted or prohibited for export, valid for two years. For items under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, applications go to CDSCO (HBP para 2.34).
Can exporters self-certify origin for the EU?
Under the EU's GSP scheme, exporters with a REX number self-certify the statement on origin; REX registration is free. For the India-UK CETA and India-EFTA TEPA, origin may also rest on the exporter's self-declaration.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from India?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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