Daily Customs & DGFT Update
Indian Customs notifications, foreign trade policy, import-export regulations, export promotion and important trade developments.
31 October 2026Welcome to the 31 October 2026 edition of CustomsDesk’s Daily Customs & DGFT Update. This edition covers important developments notified by the Department of Revenue and DGFT, along with trade-related announcements from the Department of Commerce and other relevant government sources.
- CBIC revises tariff values for specified edible oils, brass scrap, gold, silver and areca nuts with effect from 31 October 2026.
- Customs duty exemption on cotton imports under heading 5201 is extended up to 31 December 2026.
- DGFT permits exports of Agarwood oil, Agarwood chips and allied products through Guwahati International Airport.
- DGFT constitutes a Sub-Committee to review the RELIEF intervention under the Export Promotion Mission.
- India and the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union review trade and investment cooperation.
- Government discussions focus on digitisation of India’s general trade ecosystem through ONDC DigiDukaan.
1. CBIC Revises Customs Tariff Values for Edible Oils, Brass Scrap, Gold and Silver
Notification No. 89/2026-Customs (N.T.)
Date: 30 October 2026
Effective from: 31 October 2026
CBIC has issued Notification No. 89/2026-Customs (N.T.) under Section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962, amending Notification No. 36/2001-Customs (N.T.) dated 3 August 2001.
The notification substitutes the prescribed tariff-value tables for specified imported goods. The revised values apply from 31 October 2026.
Revised tariff values: Edible oils and brass scrap
| Goods | Tariff value (USD per MT) |
|---|---|
| Crude Palm Oil | 1,174 |
| RBD Palm Oil | 1,200 |
| Other Palm Oil | 1,187 |
| Crude Palmolein | 1,204 |
| RBD Palmolein | 1,207 |
| Other Palmolein | 1,206 |
| Crude Soya Bean Oil | 1,291 |
| Brass Scrap (all grades) | 8,242 |
Gold and silver
| Goods | Tariff value |
|---|---|
| Specified gold imports | USD 1,295 per 10 grams |
| Specified silver imports | USD 1,711 per kilogram |
Areca nuts
The tariff value for areca nuts under Table III is retained at USD 10,433 per metric tonne.
Importers dealing in the covered commodities should apply the revised tariff values for the relevant Bills of Entry from 31 October 2026. The gold and silver values must be read with the exact descriptions, entries and conditions in the notification. The notification does not make every gold or silver import subject to the same entry.
Legal basis: Section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962.
2. Customs Duty Exemption on Cotton Imports Extended to 31 December 2026
Notification No. 35/2026-Customs
Date: 30 October 2026
The Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, has issued Notification No. 35/2026-Customs, extending the existing customs duty exemption on specified cotton imports until 31 December 2026.
The notification amends Notification No. 19/2026-Customs dated 30 May 2026. In paragraph 2 of the original notification, the date “31st day of October, 2026” has been substituted with “31st day of December, 2026”.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Original notification | Notification No. 19/2026-Customs dated 30 May 2026 |
| Amending notification | Notification No. 35/2026-Customs dated 30 October 2026 |
| Goods covered | Cotton falling under heading 5201 |
| Earlier validity | 31 October 2026 |
| Extended validity | 31 December 2026 |
The original exemption provides relief from the whole of the customs duty leviable under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, and the whole of the applicable Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC), subject to the notification’s terms.
Why was the exemption extended?
The Government has stated that the extension is intended to support the raw-material requirements of the domestic textile industry, improve cotton availability, ease input-cost pressures and support value addition across the textile and apparel value chain.
The Ministry of Textiles has also highlighted the importance of balancing the needs of textile manufacturers with the interests of domestic cotton farmers.
Eligible cotton imports under heading 5201 continue to receive the prescribed duty relief for an additional two months. Importers and textile manufacturers should verify classification and the conditions of the original exemption while filing Bills of Entry.
3. DGFT Permits Agarwood Exports Through Guwahati International Airport
Notification No. 46/2026
Date: 30 October 2026
DGFT has amended the export policy of Agarwood under Chapter 12 of Schedule II of the ITC (HS) Export Policy, 2022.
The amendment modifies Note 3 of the Export Licensing Notes under Chapter 12 and adds Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, as an additional permitted export gateway for Agarwood oil, Agarwood chips and allied products.
What has changed?
Guwahati International Airport has been added to the existing list of permitted export points for the specified Agarwood products. The other permitted export points remain unchanged.
Conditions that continue to apply
- Exports remain subject to all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
- For species covered under CITES, a valid CITES export permit continues to be required.
- The existing provision concerning additional information, NOCs and documents from State or Central Government authorities is retained, subject to the prescribed documents and conditions.
The amendment provides an additional air-cargo export gateway for specified Agarwood products. It may facilitate export logistics for businesses in the North-Eastern region. It is not a blanket permission for every Agarwood product or every species; the applicable export policy and CITES requirements must be checked.
Legal basis: Sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, read with paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023.
4. DGFT Constitutes RELIEF Sub-Committee under Export Promotion Mission
Trade Notice No. 33/2026-27
Date: 30 October 2026
DGFT has constituted a Sub-Committee for the Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM).
The development is in continuation of Notification No. 65/2025-26 dated 19 March 2026, through which the time-limited RELIEF intervention was notified.
Purpose of the Sub-Committee
The Sub-Committee has been constituted to facilitate better utilisation of funds and improve uptake of the RELIEF intervention.
Key functions
- Review implementation progress of the three RELIEF components, including claims processed and balance funds available as reported by ECGC.
- Examine factors affecting uptake of the intervention and utilisation of approved funds.
- Recommend measures to improve fund utilisation and participation in the intervention.
The Sub-Committee’s recommendations will be placed before the EPM Steering Committee. The Steering Committee may take decisions on review of RELIEF in accordance with paragraph 10 of the Annexure to Notification No. 65/2025-26.
This is an institutional and monitoring development. Constitution of the Sub-Committee does not by itself create a new exporter entitlement or amend the existing eligibility conditions. Exporters should continue to refer to the applicable RELIEF notification and subsequent amendments.
5. India–Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union Reviews Trade and Investment Cooperation
19th India–BLEU Joint Economic Commission Session
Meeting date: 29 October 2026
Announcement date: 30 October 2026
The 19th Session of the India–Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) Joint Economic Commission was held in Luxembourg on 29 October 2026.
The session reviewed bilateral trade and investment relations between India, Belgium and Luxembourg and explored opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation.
Sectors discussed
- Logistics, including air connectivity and ports.
- Renewable energy and clean technology.
- Financial services and FinTech.
- Digital transformation and information and communication technology.
- Healthcare, life sciences, Ayurveda and traditional medicine.
- Agro and food processing.
The three sides also explored opportunities for cooperation in aerospace, research and innovation, higher education and skill development. Market-related issues were discussed with a view to addressing trade concerns and facilitating market access.
The discussions are relevant to businesses exploring India–Belgium–Luxembourg trade, investment and supply-chain opportunities. The meeting is a bilateral cooperation development, not a new customs duty concession or an immediately applicable change in import-export policy.
6. Government Discusses Digitisation of India’s General Trade Ecosystem
Bharat Commerce Chintan Shivir
Date: 30 October 2026
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry chaired a high-level CEO roundtable under the Bharat Commerce Chintan Shivir, convened by DPIIT and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
The discussions focused on digitising India’s general trade ecosystem through ONDC DigiDukaan and strengthening digital participation by small retailers.
Areas discussed
- Common digital identity for retailers.
- Shared micro-warehousing and logistics infrastructure.
- Formal credit access and transaction-linked financing.
- Simplified technology integration through DMS connectors.
- Commercial incentives to encourage sustained digital ordering.
The initiative is intended to support kirana retailers through digital procurement, supply-chain efficiency and formal credit integration while preserving existing distributor relationships.
Although this is not a Customs or DGFT compliance amendment, digitisation of procurement and distribution infrastructure may be relevant to businesses, brands, distributors and retailers participating in domestic supply chains.
7. Other Import-Export Regulatory Source Checks
Daily trade research also requires checking regulators beyond CBIC and DGFT wherever their rules affect import clearance, export permissions, product standards or mandatory certificates.
FSSAI
The FSSAI advisories and orders listing was reviewed as a checkpoint for food-import-related regulatory developments. The retrieved listing displayed updates up to 9 October 2026, including validity of notified food-testing laboratories and approved RAFT applications. No new 30 or 31 October food-import advisory was independently confirmed from the retrieved listing.
CDSCO
The CDSCO Gazette Notifications listing displayed a notification dated 28 October 2026 concerning rationalisation of shelf life under Rule 31 of the Drugs Rules, 1945. The retrieved listing does not establish that this is an import-specific change. It is therefore not presented as a new Customs clearance requirement.
BIS and other product regulators
BIS, Legal Metrology, Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine and other relevant regulatory sources remain part of the daily research checklist. No additional dated 30 or 31 October import-specific amendment from these sources was independently confirmed in the retrieved material for this edition.
A source appearing in the research checklist does not mean that a new legal update was issued by that authority on the reporting date. Where no relevant update was confirmed, no substantive legal change has been invented or inferred.
8. Practical Compliance Checklist
- Edible oil and brass scrap importers: Apply revised tariff values under Notification No. 89/2026-Customs (N.T.) from 31 October 2026.
- Gold and silver importers: Verify the precise tariff entry, description and conditions before applying the revised tariff values.
- Cotton importers: Review the extended exemption under Notification No. 35/2026-Customs and the conditions of Notification No. 19/2026-Customs.
- Agarwood exporters: Review the amended export gateway provision and ensure CITES permits are obtained wherever applicable.
- RELIEF stakeholders: Monitor subsequent decisions of the EPM Steering Committee. The constitution of the Sub-Committee does not itself amend claim eligibility.
- India–BLEU businesses: Monitor developments in market access, sectoral cooperation and investment discussions.
- Businesses using digital distribution networks: Follow developments in ONDC DigiDukaan and related digital trade infrastructure.
- Regulated product importers: Continue checking applicable FSSAI, BIS, CDSCO, Legal Metrology and quarantine requirements for the relevant goods.
9. Official Research Portals
- CBIC Main Website
- CBIC Tax Information Portal
- e-Gazette of India
- DGFT Official Portal
- Department of Commerce
- DPIIT
- Open Network for Digital Commerce
- FSSAI
- Bureau of Indian Standards
- CDSCO
- Department of Commerce – TradeStat
Conclusion
The 31 October 2026 developments cover important changes in Customs valuation, cotton import duty relief and export policy. The revised tariff values under Notification No. 89/2026-Customs (N.T.) apply from today, while the cotton duty exemption has been extended until 31 December 2026.
On the foreign trade side, DGFT has added Guwahati International Airport as a permitted export gateway for specified Agarwood products and constituted a Sub-Committee to review implementation of the RELIEF intervention.
India’s engagement with Belgium and Luxembourg and the Government’s focus on digital trade infrastructure are also relevant developments for businesses tracking international trade and supply-chain transformation.
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