Foreign Trade Policy & Export Incentives

1. Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) Consulting:

Consultants provide comprehensive guidance and support related to India’s FTP, which is formulated and implemented by the DGFT. Their services include:

Policy Interpretation: Explaining the nuances of the latest FTP, including amendments, circulars, and notifications. This helps businesses understand how the policy impacts their specific import-export activities.
Strategy Formulation: Advising businesses on how to align their trade strategies with the FTP to maximize benefits and minimize risks. This includes market entry strategies, product diversification, and supply chain optimization.

Compliance Advisory: Ensuring that businesses adhere to all regulatory requirements, rules, and procedures outlined in the FTP, preventing penalties, delays, or legal issues.
Representations and Appeals: Assisting clients in making representations to the DGFT or other government bodies for policy clarifications, relaxations, or in case of disputes and appeals.
Customs and International Trade Consultancy: Guiding on customs clearance, documentation, classification of goods (HS Code), customs duty calculations, and compliance with CBIC and GST requirements. They also advise on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and their implications.

2. Export Incentives and Subsidies:

Consultants specialize in helping exporters identify, apply for, and realize benefits from various government schemes designed to promote exports. Key services include:

Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP): Assisting with the application process to claim refunds for embedded taxes and duties (like VAT on fuel, electricity duties, mandi tax) that are not reimbursed under other schemes. This involves preparing declarations in shipping bills and managing the e-scrips on the ICEGATE portal.
Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme: Guiding businesses on importing capital goods at zero customs duty for the purpose of producing export goods. This includes assistance with export obligation fulfillment and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) procedures.
Advance Authorization Scheme: Helping manufacturers and merchant exporters obtain duty-free import of inputs that are physically incorporated into the export product, ensuring compliance with value addition norms.
Duty-Free Import Authorization (DFIA) Scheme: Assisting with post-export duty-free import of inputs.

Duty Drawback Scheme: Facilitating claims for refunds of customs and central excise duties, and service tax paid on inputs used in exported goods (under All Industry Rate or Brand Rate).
Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS): (Note: While SEIS has been withdrawn under FTP 2023, consultants previously assisted service exporters in claiming transferable duty credit scrips based on net foreign exchange earnings.)
Deemed Exports Benefits: Advising on benefits for supplies considered as exports even if they don't leave the country (e.g., supplies to EOUs/SEZs).
Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA): Assisting agricultural exporters in claiming reimbursement for shipping and marketing costs.

Documentation & Compliance: Ensuring all necessary paperwork (shipping bills, invoices, bank certificates, etc.) is accurate and compliant with the latest regulations, reducing errors and delays.
Claim Realization: Following up with government authorities to ensure timely processing and receipt of incentives/refunds.
Post-Compliance Support: Providing ongoing support for audits, renewals, and any other post-approval compliance requirements.

3. Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Services:

exports, and consultants offer specialized services for businesses operating or looking to set up within SEZs:

Assisting in preparing applications for setting up SEZ units, including project reports, for approval by the Approval Committee and Board of Approval (BoA).
Guidance for Developers/Co-Developers in obtaining "In-Principle" and "Formal" approvals for SEZ development.
Assistance with demarcation of processing and non-processing areas, and changes in notified SEZ areas.

Guidance on duty-free import/domestic procurement of goods and services for SEZ units.
Assistance with customs and GST procedures specific to SEZs (e.g., zero-rated GST on procurements).
Support for inter-unit transfer of capital goods, disposal of waste/scrap, and DTA (Domestic Tariff Area) sales.
Handling applications for enhancement of production capacity, change of location, etc.

Incentive Maximization: Advising on the various incentives and facilities available to SEZ units, such as income tax exemptions (under Section 10AA of the Income Tax Act), exemption from minimum alternate tax, and capital gains tax exemptions.
Record Keeping and Reporting: Ensuring meticulous record-keeping and timely filing of statutory reports to the Development Commissioner and other authorities.
Debonding Services: Assisting units with the debonding process of materials or premises from SEZ status.

Policy Interpretation: Explaining the nuances of the latest FTP, including amendments, circulars, and notifications. This helps businesses understand how the policy impacts their specific import-export activities.
Strategy Formulation: Advising businesses on how to align their trade strategies with the FTP to maximize benefits and minimize risks. This includes market entry strategies, product diversification, and supply chain optimization.

4. DGFT Services:

Since the DGFT is the main body responsible for the FTP and its implementation, consultants extensively engage with the DGFT on behalf of their clients:

Advance Authorizations
EPCG Authorizations
DFIA Authorizations
Authorizations for restricted items (Import/Export)
SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) approvals.

Fixation of Norms: Assisting with the fixation or modification of Standard Input Output Norms (SION) for specific products, which are crucial for claiming duty exemption benefits.
Redemption and Closure of Licenses: Guiding businesses through the process of fulfilling export obligations and obtaining redemption/closure of Advance and EPCG licenses.
Status Holder Certificate: Assisting eligible exporters in obtaining "Status Holder" certificates (e.g., Star Export House), which confer additional benefits and recognition.
Online Filings and Portal Management: Providing support for all online applications and compliance through the DGFT portal and ICEGATE.
Liaison and Follow-ups: Acting as a liaison between the business and DGFT officials, handling queries, clarifications, and expediting the processing of applications.