Temporary exemption on rice exports to certain EU countries

India postpones the obligatory need for export inspection agencies to provide a certificate of inspection for the shipment of basmati and non-basmati rice to certain European countries.

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India has decided to postpone the mandatory requirement for a certificate of inspection by export inspection agencies for shipping basmati and non-basmati rice to specific European countries. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced to amend a notification dated August 17, 2022.

The amendment specifies that the export of rice, both basmati and non-basmati, to EU member states and other European countries (including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK), will now only require a certificate of inspection from the Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency. The deferment will be effective for a period of six months.

“Export to remaining European countries will not require a certificate of inspection by the Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency for export from the date of this notification for a period of six months,” the DGFT said.

DGFT previously announced that starting from January of this year, a certificate of inspection would be mandatory for exporting rice to the specified European countries. The Export Inspection Council (EIC), the official export certification body of India, is responsible for guaranteeing the quality and safety of products exported from the country. However, the DGFT has now decided to defer this requirement by six months.