The government on Wednesday eased export compliance for small and first-time exporters by exempting consignments valued at up to Rs 3 lakh from the requirement of a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC).
An RCMC is generally obtained from the relevant Export Promotion Council or Commodity Board and is used to access institutional support and benefits of export schemes. The measure aims to reduce the compliance burden for new and small exporters and facilitate exports through postal, Courier, and other emerging channels, a commerce ministry statement said here.
The change could be particularly relevant for e-commerce exports, where businesses increasingly send individual, relatively low-value consignments directly to overseas customers through postal and courier channels. Small manufacturers, artisans and entrepreneurs can use such channels to test demand in foreign markets without first taking on the full compliance requirements applicable to established exporters.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has amended the Foreign Trade Policy, introducing the de minimis exemption in an effort to lower the entry barrier for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), artisans and entrepreneurs seeking to test overseas markets, the statement added.
The move comes against the backdrop of a large number of low-value export transactions that account for a significant share of India’s export documentation but contribute only a small fraction of the country’s overall merchandise export value.
Government data for the five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 shows that consignments valued at up to $3,000 accounted for about 43% of shipping bills but only 0.86% of total merchandise export value.
The exemption also supports a gradual expansion of India’s exporter base. Businesses that begin with small consignments and subsequently increase their export volumes will still be required to obtain RCMC membership once their consignments cross the Rs 3 lakh threshold.