This week for exporters: 6 Nov to 12 Nov 2026

A quiet week for new rules, but two DGFT notifications dated 9 November 2026 buy time for food exporters: rice shippers to non-EU Europe keep their inspection-certificate waiver until 1 April 2027, and meat exporters to Egypt get until 9 February 2027 to move to i-CAS Halal certification. The bigger dates to plan around are the RBI policy meeting in early December and the India–EU FTA signing set for mid-December.

Rule changes this week

Rice to Europe: inspection certificate waiver extended (DGFT Notification 47/2026-27, 9 Nov)

An EIC/EIA Certificate of Inspection is still required for basmati and non-basmati rice (HS 1006) shipped to EU member states, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. For all other European countries it is not mandatory until 1 April 2027. Nothing changes for EU, UK and EFTA shipments.

Meat to Egypt: i-CAS Halal deadline moved to 9 February 2027 (DGFT Notification 48/2026-27, 9 Nov)

The halal certification requirement under Notification 59/2025-26 now applies to Egypt 12 months after 9 February 2026, so from 9 February 2027. The previous deadline (9 months) ran out on 9 November, the day of the new notification. Exportsmitra suggests using the extra three months to complete i-CAS Halal certification rather than waiting for another extension.

Import side, for information: UK car TRQ under CETA (DGFT Public Notice 39/2026-27, 6 Nov)

DGFT opened applications from 6 to 21 November 2026 for the 2027 tariff-rate quota on completely built cars and goods vehicles (HS 8703, 8704) imported from the UK under the India–UK CETA. This is an import quota and does not affect exporters directly.

Markets and trade talks

• United States: no change reported this week to the 10% Section 301 duty on most Indian goods in force since 24 July 2026. The India–US interim trade agreement was still unsigned in reports up to 4 November.
• European Union: India and the EU worked on customs and trade facilitation in Brussels in early November as the agreement goes through legal scrubbing. Signing is planned for mid-December 2026; entry into force is targeted for 2027 after European Parliament consent.

Coming up in the next 30 days

Date

What

Who it affects

15 Nov 2026

Monthly ECGC declarations (shipments and overdue payments) for policyholders, as per ECGC policy terms

ECGC policyholders

21 Nov 2026

Last day to apply for the 2027 India–UK CETA car TRQ (import)

Vehicle importers

2–4 Dec 2026

RBI Monetary Policy Committee meeting (repo now 5.50% after the October hike)

Anyone on floating-rate packing credit

Mid-Dec 2026 (16 Dec scheduled)

India–EU FTA signing

Exporters to the EU

31 Dec 2026

RoDTEP currently notified only up to this date; the Textile PLI application window and duty-free cotton imports also end on this date

Most merchandise exporters; textile firms

Exportsmitra suggests filing any pending RoDTEP claims for shipments made so far and watching for a DGFT notification on RoDTEP beyond 31 December.

Sources

• DGFT notifications (Notifications 47 and 48/2026-27, 9 Nov 2026)
• DGFT public notices (Public Notice 39/2026-27, 6 Nov 2026)
• RBI press releases: Minutes of the MPC meeting, 5-7 Oct 2026 (published 21 Oct 2026)
• World Trade Scanner: copy of DGFT Notification 47/2026-27 (9 Nov 2026)
• TaxGuru: DGFT extends halal certification deadline for meat exports to Egypt (10 Nov 2026)
• TaxGuru: DGFT invites India-UK CETA TRQ applications for CY 2027 (Nov 2026)
• Swarajya: India and EU iron out customs issues ahead of December FTA signing (2 Nov 2026)
• Multibagg: Where does the India-US trade deal stand after the midterms (4 Nov 2026)

Last checked: 12 November 2026.

Drafted with AI help from public sources.