DGFT consultancy - unlock your export benefits

DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) is a government agency under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry responsible for formulating and implementing India's foreign trade policy and managing international trade.

MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme) and SEIS (Service Exports from India Scheme) are export incentive schemes that provide benefits in the form of duty credit scrips to exporters based on their export performance.

EPCG (Export Promotion Capital Goods) scheme allows import of capital goods at zero or concessional customs duty for export production. Importers must achieve a minimum export obligation of 6 times the duty saved within a specified period.

Advance Authorization allows duty-free import of inputs required for manufacturing export items. It is issued based on the export obligation and is linked to specific export orders.

Duty drawback is a refund of customs duty paid on imported inputs used in the manufacture of export products. It helps exporters recover the customs duty component embedded in their export products.

You need to register on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in), obtain an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC), and submit applications for specific schemes with supporting documents like export invoices, shipping bills, and bank certificates.

RODTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) is a new export incentive scheme replacing MEIS. It provides refunds of duties, taxes, and levies embedded in export products, as a percentage of FOB value.

Under MEIS, benefits were available at 2%, 3%, or 5% of FOB value depending on the product category. MEIS has been replaced by RODTEP from January 2020. Existing MEIS scrips can still be used until December 2024.

Generally, you cannot claim multiple benefits on the same export transaction. However, you can combine different schemes for different aspects - EPCG for capital goods and RODTEP for finished exports.

Export obligation is typically 6 times the duty saved on imported capital goods, must be fulfilled within 8 years from the date of issue.

Most DGFT applications are processed in 15-30 working days. Some expedited schemes may have faster processing times depending on the regional authority.

IEC (Import Export Code) is a 10-digit unique code mandatory for all importers/exporters. It is issued by DGFT and is the basic requirement for availing any DGFT benefits.

You can track your DGFT application status on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in) using your IEC and application reference number.

If export obligation is not met, you must pay the outstanding duty amount with interest. The DGFT may also cancel the EPCG license and blacklist the exporter.

RODTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) replaces MEIS. It refunds duties, taxes, and levies embedded in export products as a percentage of FOB value.

EOU (Export Oriented Unit) and SEZ (Special Economic Zone) schemes provide duty-free imports for export production. Units in EOU/SEZ zones can import raw materials and capital goods without customs duty.