Amid the impact of US tariffs, the government has drawn up a plan to boost rice exports to Europe by relaxing regulations and norms. Under the Department of Commerce, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) declared an amendment to the export policy for both basmati and non-basmati rice.
Exporters shipping rice to EU member states and European countries, which are the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, are allowed to do but what is required, an issuance of a certificate of inspection by the Export Inspection Council or Export Inspection Agency, under the revised norms but when it comes to other European countries, the mandatory inspection certificate requirement has been temporarily dismissed for six months, until April 2, 2026.
Relaxation in rice exports to simplify the trade process This rice export policy change is for rice under ITC (HS) Code 1006, covering basmati rice (HS Codes 1006 3012 and 1006 3092) and non-basmati rice (HS Codes 1006 2000, 1006 3011, 1006 3019, 1006 3091, 1006 3099, and 1006 4000). The decision looks after concerns raised by rice exporters regarding procedural delays and logistical hurdles in obtaining inspection certificates, which affected the rice shipments to Europe in recent months. Moreover, the government stated that the relaxation intends to simplify trade processes, decrease transaction costs, and improve the efficiency for rice exporters.