Commerce Ministry

India's quality control orders (QCOs) are intended to achieve legitimate public policy objectives, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said on Thursday. Speaking at a meeting of the Eighth Trade Policy Review of India at the WTO in Geneva, Agarwal further said that trade remedy investigations are conducted transparently, based on objective evidence, due process and judicial oversight. The remarks come at a time when certain WTO member countries have raised issues about QCOs. India's tariff reforms, customs simplification measures and ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) strategy have steadily strengthened the country's integration with the global economy, Agarwal said. He also said that India is committed to an open, transparent and predictable trade and investment regime. The Trade Policy Review is a key transparency and monitoring mechanism of the WTO under which members' trade and related policies are periodically examined to enhance transparency, strengthen adherence to WTO rule

The government on Tuesday said that Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have resulted in actual investments of over Rs 2.40 lakh crore and generated over 14.15 lakh jobs until March this year. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said that the schemes have collectively enabled exports of over Rs 15.2 lakh crore since their inception, reflecting India's growing integration with global value chains. "As on March 31, 2026, under the PLI Schemes resulted actual investment of over Rs 2.40 lakh crore and employment generation of over 14.15 lakh (direct and indirect)," he said. According to the data provided by the minister in his reply, the maximum investment was received in the high efficiency solar PV modules (Rs 64,873 crore). It was followed by pharma (Rs 45,158 crore), auto (Rs 44,326 crore), speciality steel (Rs 23,896 crore), and the large-scale electronics manufacturing sector till March (Rs 20,580 ...

Exports to Asean and Africa surged in April-May FY27, driving India's export growth as shipments diversified beyond North America and Europe

A 17-member committee to suggest larger reforms in the policy for special economic zones (SEZs) will soon submit its report to the commerce ministry, an official said. The report, which will be submitted to Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, may include suggestions to revamp these zones to boost domestic manufacturing, exports and cut imports, the official said. The committee has held meetings with different stakeholders on the issues pertaining to these zones. The committee has focused on issues such as harmonisation of various prevalent export promotion schemes, including SEZs, export-oriented units (EoUs), MOOWR (Manufacturing and Other Operations in Warehouse), Advance Authorisation, EPCG (Export Promotion for Capital Goods), and Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). "The report will be submitted soon," the official said.Export Promotion The terms of reference of the committee included identification of operational, procedural, and regulatory challenges faced by SEZ developer

Revised Index of Core Industries with 2022-23 as the base year will be released on July 20, adding Iron Ore to the basket and aligning it with key macroeconomic indicators

Commerce Ministry is preparing a list of more than 100 products for higher domestic production as New Delhi seeks to ease pressure on the rupee and strengthen supply chains

India has prohibited imports of goods made using forced labour, issuing its first such notification as the US considers tariffs under a Section 301 investigation

India and Asean have asked negotiators to expedite the review of their free trade agreement after missing the 2025 deadline, with talks focused on resolving pending chapters

The Centre plans a district-level export push covering 500 districts, with dedicated MSME support, quality labs, certification aid and logistics subsidies

Proposals include allowing SEZ units to sell in the domestic market on a duty-foregone basis, accept rupee payments for services and undertake manufacturing for domestic firms

The commerce ministry has called a meeting of stakeholders on June 30 to discuss issues related to special economic zones (SEZs), an official said. The meeting will focus on issues related to the harmonisation of export promotion schemes and SEZ reforms, the official said. The issues which are expected to figure in the deliberations include INR payment for SEZS to domestic tariff area (DTA) services; job work by units of these zones for DTA without linkage to exports, import substitution, reforms in the free trade warehousing zones, and further promoting ease of doing business in these enclaves. The government has set up a 17-member committee to suggest larger reforms in the policy for these zones. It is undertaking a background study focused on the harmonisation of various prevalent export promotion schemes, including SEZs, export-oriented units (EoUs), MOOWR (Manufacturing and Other Operations in Warehouse), Advance Authorisation (AA), EPCG (export promotion for capital goods), a

Any move to impose an anti-dumping duty on cold-rolled grain-oriented electrical steel (CRGO), which accounts for nearly 90 per cent of India's imports to meet domestic requirements, could increase transformer manufacturing costs and slow the country's power grid expansion, Thin Tank GTRI said on Friday. The commerce ministry's arm, Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), has initiated an anti-dumping probe against imports of CRGO and amorphous metals from China, Japan, Korea and Russia, following a complaint by JSW JFE Electrical Steel Nashik Pvt Ltd. The investigation, initiated on June 22, 2026, covers imports from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, while the injury analysis covers 2022-23 to 2024-25. GTRI said that every power and distribution transformer uses CRGO steel in its magnetic core. The specialised electrical steel minimises energy losses and is indispensable for efficient electricity transmission and distribution. Demand for CRGO is expected to surge as India .

The ministry has sought engagement with the EU over its Waste Shipment Regulation amid concerns that restrictions on scrap exports could affect Indian industry

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is focusing on moving towards 'automation' in processes involved in manufacturing explosives to make operations safer, a senior government official has said. The department, which functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has undertaken major regulatory reforms to strengthen safety and ease of doing business, DPIIT Joint Secretary Dr Kajal said on Thursday. Talking to PTI in Nagpur on the sidelines of 'Awareness workshop on reforms undertaken by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)', she asserted DPIIT is making concerted efforts to prevent accidental blasts at explosives manufacturing factories. Asked what safety precautions DPIIT and PESO, which comes under the department, are taking to prevent blasts at explosives manufacturing units, the official said both agencies are making their best efforts to prevent such tragedies in the future. She was asked specifically in the contex

Low domestic consumption levels belie overcapacity allegations, says commerce ministry

India's engineering exports have leapt from $70 billion in the financial year 2014-15 to $122.43 billion in FY 2025-26, which is a powerful validation of the country's development and progress, a senior official said on Monday. Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Vimal Anand, Joint Secretary of Department of Commerce, said that the remarkable rise in the sector over the past 12 years reflects growing strength, competitiveness and resilience of the country's manufacturing and export ecosystem. He said that engineering exports have expanded from nearly $70 billion in fiscal 2015 to $122.43 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2026. Their share in India's merchandise exports has steadily increased from about one-fifth of total exports to nearly 28 per cent, reaffirming the sector's position as the largest contributor to the country's merchandise export basket, the official said. He said that this growth has been achieved despite an increasingly complex global trade ...

Negotiators held four days of discussions on goods, customs, trade facilitation and economic security, while fresh US tariff proposals emerged during the talks

After the courts struck down the Donald Trump administration's reciprocal tariffs imposed under emergency powers, Washington turned to alternative legal routes

India is engaged with the US on the Section 301 investigations over concerns related to forced labour and excess industrial capacity, the government said on Wednesday. The country is also "parallelly" engaged with the US for finalisation of an interim trade agreement, a framework for which was announced through a joint statement on February 7. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched two separate Section 301 investigations on March 11 and 12, 2026, covering 60 economies over concerns related to forced labour and excess industrial capacity. The USTR on June 2 issued its findings in the forced labour investigation and proposed additional tariffs on imports from 60 economies. The proposal includes a 10 per cent tariff on imports from Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan, and a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from 54 other economies, including India and China. Pakistan and Indonesia are India's competitors in the trade front.

The new PPI framework is being built on supply and use tables, which officials said makes it more consistent with national accounts and reduces double counting