The Directorate General of Foreign Trade ( DGFT) may liberalise the norms for export of imported food items.
According to officials, this is one of many measures taken to improve exports with a focus on agri-products, processed food etc.
As per the current guidelines, imported food items have to abide by provisions of Standards of Weights and Measures ( Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977. These guidelines are specifically for packaged products that are packed / produced / sold in domestic market after import into India.
However, now many traders are importing the packaged foods for exporting it back.
Compliance with the Indian standards makes no sense as they have to comply with the food standards of the importing country or the country where it is being exported, said officials. Therefore there is a view that such packaged foods may be directly exported back without testing its compliance with Indian food standards under the Standards of Weights and Measures ( Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 .
Besides such products if imported into India under the existing rules have to be registered with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) so as to adhere to inspections of Indian quality standards. Major part of the exported packaged food includes milk powder, condensed milk, infant milk food, milk cereal based weaning foods and food additives.
These rules are particularly for sale of food in the domestic market but exports are also made applicable, said officials.
Besides compliance with the Indian food standards, as per the existing guidelines, all pre-packaged commodities, imported into India, shall in particular carry name and address of the importer, generic or common name of the commodity packed, month and year of packing in which the commodity is manufactured or packed or imported. Besides, as per the net quantity in terms of standard unit of weights and measures, if the net quantity in the imported package is given in any other unit, its equivalent in terms of standard units shall be declared by the importer. Above all the maximum retail sale price at which the commodity in packaged form may be sold to the ultimate consumer which will include all taxes local or otherwise freight transport charges, commission payable to dealers, and all charges towards advertising, delivery, packing, forwarding and the like, as the case may be.
Once the rules are relaxed, the packaged food importers exporting such items may be relieved from many of such compliance, said officials.
