Centre extends duty refund scheme for exporters till March 2026

In a major relief to Indian exporters, the Central government Tuesday announced a six-month extension of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme, which will now remain in force until March 31, 2026.

The scheme has been instrumental in making Indian exports competitive by neutralising the incidence of non-creditable taxes and duties. The continuation of this scheme will help exporters sustain momentum in the current challenging global trade environment.

A government notification issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that the existing RoDTEP rates, as notified, shall continue to apply for all eligible export items. The operation of the scheme shall, however, remain subject to the budgetary framework provided under Foreign Trade Policy 2023, so that the remissions during the financial year are managed within the approved allocation, it stated.

The list of eligible export items, along with the applicable rates and per-unit value caps wherever applicable, is available on the DGFT website.

The RoDTEP Scheme, which is applicable to exports made from Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) units, Advance Authorisation (AA) holders, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units, and Export Oriented Units (EOUs), was scheduled to end on September 30.

“The timely extension of RoDTEP has removed the uncertainty that was weighing on the exporting community. This step comes at a critical juncture when exporters are navigating global headwinds, and it provides the much-needed policy continuity to plan exports with greater confidence,” said S.C. Ralhan, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Lauding the government, particularly the ministry of commerce and industry, and DGFT, Ralhan said their proactive approach and responsiveness to exporters’ concerns through policy stability not only strengthens India’s position in global markets but also encourages exporters to explore new destinations and diversify product baskets.

FIEO also assured that it will continue to work closely with the government to ensure that exporters fully leverage the RoDTEP benefits and contribute to India’s ambitious export targets. The extension of the RoDTEP scheme was one of the major demands of Indian exporters after the unilateral tariff hikes by U.S. President Donald Trump on a host of goods exported from India to that country. The U.S. is India’s biggest trade partner with a trade surplus in favour of India.