The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has issued Public Notice No. 07/2026-27 dated May 05, 2026, extending the validity period of ad-hoc norms ratified by the Norms Committee under Para 4.12 (vi) of the Handbook of Procedures (HBP)-2023.
The notification has been issued in exercise of powers conferred under Paragraphs 1.03 and 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023. The amendment aims to provide greater certainty and operational continuity to exporters availing Advance Authorisation benefits.
Key Amendment in Para 4.12 (vi) of HBP-2023
As per the amended provision, norms ratified by the Norms Committee (NC) in the Office of DGFT on or after 01 April 2015, in respect of Advance Authorisations issued under Paragraph 4.07 of HBP-2023, shall now remain valid up to 31st March 2028. Earlier, such norms were valid only up to 31 March 2026.
The DGFT has clarified that since all decisions of the Norms Committee are available on the DGFT website in the form of meeting minutes, applicants of Advance Authorisation may continue to apply and obtain authorisations based on already ratified norms during the extended validity period.
Applicability and Exclusions
The Public Notice further specifies that the amendment shall not apply to authorisations relating to items listed under Appendix 4P. Additionally, the extension will not cover ad-hoc norms where the Norms Committee has specifically stated that such norms are not applicable for repeat authorisations.
Boost to Export Trade Facilitation
The extension of validity of ad-hoc norms is expected to significantly reduce procedural delays and transaction costs for exporters by avoiding repeated ratification processes. The measure is also aimed at strengthening predictability and promoting ease of doing business in India’s foreign trade ecosystem.
The Public Notice can be accessed at: https://a2ztaxcorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Notice-No.07-English-05.05.2026.pdf
