DGFT Automates Issuance of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates for Exporters

1 September 2026National

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) introduced automated issuance of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates (FSC) through Trade Notice No. 24/2026-2027. The facility applies to exporters seeking certificates under Paragraph 2.34 of the Handbook of Procedures for products outside the scope of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. Eligible online applications meeting all system parameters now receive certificates generated automatically, replacing routine manual examination and approval by Regional Authorities. Applications failing the automated checks, or needing extra verification, still go to the concerned Regional Authority. A post-approval review mechanism under risk-management parameters covers selected auto-approved cases, extending DGFT's paperless trade-facilitation push.

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DGFT functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by the Director General of Foreign Trade | It administers India's Foreign Trade Policy and the Handbook of Procedures under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 | The current Foreign Trade Policy, notified on 31 March 2023, came into effect from 1 April 2023 and has no fixed end date

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