India · Import & Export Compliance
Customs registration, controlled/restricted goods, sanctions screening, and the official customs authority.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Cross-border trade starts with an Importer-Exporter Code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade: without it a business generally cannot import or export. The Foreign Trade Policy sets what may be traded freely and what is restricted or prohibited, while customs clearance, duty assessment and classification run through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and its electronic gateway. Sector licences apply on top for controlled goods.
- An Importer-Exporter Code from the DGFT is the precondition for trading across the border.
- The Foreign Trade Policy determines whether goods are free, restricted or prohibited.
- Customs clearance and duty assessment sit with the CBIC, separately from the DGFT licence.
Official authorities
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
Importer-Exporter Code and the Foreign Trade Policy.
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
Customs clearance, duty and classification.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.