'Proportionate benefits must be surrendered for refund of export proceeds'

On future exports, one may negotiate the prices suitably, says T N C Rajagopalan

We are a manufacturer-exporter of fasteners and steel wire nails, exporting to the US and other countries. Lately, buyers have started pressuring us to reimburse the incentive amount received from the Indian government, ie, reimbursement of the amount received as duty drawback and reimbursement of duty credits received under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). Is there any provision in Indian law, which restricts us from passing on these incentives?
 
I don’t think you can do much about past exports because any refund of export proceeds or remittance on account of claims from buyers can be done only