The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has issued Trade Notice No. 28/2026-27 dated September 16, 2026, introducing important relaxations and revising the timeline for issuance of Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates (PSICs) under the revised Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA)/PSIC module.
The latest Trade Notice has been issued in continuation of Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 dated August 25, 2026, which had introduced certain enhancements in the PSIA/PSIC process. With a view to facilitating the smooth implementation of the revised PSIA/PSIC module, DGFT has now provided a transitional relaxation and modified the prescribed timeline for generation and issuance of PSICs.
One-Time 7-Day Relaxation for Backlog PSICs
As a transitional measure, DGFT has granted a one-time relaxation of seven days from the date of issuance of Trade Notice No. 28/2026-27 to recognised PSIAs for clearing pending or backlog PSICs.
The relaxation specifically covers inspections conducted prior to 25 August 2026, where PSICs could not be issued due to system restrictions introduced pursuant to Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27. The measure provides recognised inspection agencies a limited window to regularise such pending certificates.
PSIC Must Now Be Issued Within 2 Days of Inspection
DGFT has also revised the timeline prescribed under Para 2(ii) of Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27. Under the substituted provision, the PSIC is required to be generated and issued within two days from the date of inspection.
The system will permit generation and issuance of the PSIC only within the prescribed two-day timeline, making timely issuance an integral part of the electronic PSIA/PSIC framework.
PSIC Uploading Restricted to Country/Location of Inspection
The revised provision further stipulates that the PSIC must be uploaded from the same geographical location/country where the inspection was actually carried out. This condition strengthens geographical validation and traceability in the PSIC issuance process.
The Trade Notice can be accessed at: https://a2ztaxcorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Revised-Trade-Notice-no-28-PSIA_PSIC-Signed.pdf
