Union Government Automates Issuance of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates to Enhance Export Operations

In a major regulatory reform aimed at boosting India’s export competitiveness and advancing the Ease of Doing Business framework, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched an automated system for issuing Free Sale and Commerce Certificates. Announced on September 1, 2026, the new digital workflow allows qualifying exporters to obtain clearance certificates directly through the DGFT portal without requiring physical or manual scrutiny by Regional Authorities. Free Sale and Commerce Certificates are critical compliance documents required by foreign buyers and regulatory authorities to verify that exported goods—specifically items not governed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940—are freely sold in India and meet standard quality benchmarks. Previously, exporters faced administrative delays while waiting for regional officers to manually review applications and documentation. Under the updated policy guidelines, routine applications that satisfy predefined parameters will undergo automated, rule-based processing. The system incorporates an integrated risk-management protocol to flag specific applications for subsequent review or manual verification whenever necessary. By eliminating unnecessary administrative interventions and shortening turnaround times, the government seeks to streamline global trade workflows, lower compliance costs, and strengthen overall operational efficiency for commercial exporters across the nation.