The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has issued Public Notice No. 44/2025-26 dated 16 January 2026, notifying detailed modalities for the export of wheat flour and related products classified under ITC HS Code 1101.
The Public Notice gives effect to Notification No. 55/2025-26 dated 16 January 2026, which allows restricted exports of wheat flour within a notified quantitative ceiling, subject to compliance with prescribed eligibility conditions and procedures.
Online Submission of Export Authorisation Applications
All exporters seeking authorisation for export of wheat flour under HS Code 1101 are required to submit their applications online only through the DGFT portal by navigating to: DGFT Website → Services → Export Management Systems → License for Restricted Exports
Applications submitted through email or physical mode will not be considered.
Application Period and Monthly Windows
- The first application window will be open from 21 January 2026 to 31 January 2026.
- Thereafter, applications will be invited during the last ten days of each month.
- Applications will continue to be invited until the total export quantity permitted under Notification No. 55/2025-26 is fully allocated.
Validity of Export Authorisation
- Each export authorisation issued under these modalities will be valid for six months from the date of issuance.
- Requests for extension of validity, if any, shall be examined on a case-by-case basis by the Special Exim Facilitation Committee (EFC) constituted under the Public Notice.
Categories of Eligible Exporters
The following entities are eligible to apply for export authorisation:
- Flour mills/ processing units having valid IEC and FSSAI licences, exporting as manufacturer exporters
- Merchant exporters with valid IEC and FSSAI licences and tie-up/ supply agreements with flour mills acting as supporting manufacturers
- EOUs/ SEZ units/ Advance Authorisation (AA) holders seeking allocation over and above their existing imported wheat entitlements
All exports must relate to wheat flour and related products falling under HS Code 1101.
Documents Required to Be Uploaded with Application
Applicants must upload the following documents at the time of filing the online application:
- Valid Importer Exporter Code (IEC)
- Category of exporter (manufacturer exporter/ merchant exporter/ EOU/ SEZ/ AA holder)
- Status Holder Certificate or AEO details, wherever applicable
- Installed capacity and average monthly production capacity of wheat flour or related products
- Details of FSSAI licence and factory address of the manufacturer/ supporting manufacturer
- FSSAI licence details of merchant exporter, where applicable
- Past export performance (including exports made prior to prohibition, wherever available)
- Quantity applied for (item-wise and country-wise), port(s) of loading, and proposed shipment schedule
- Copies of confirmed export orders or contracts, wherever available
- Self-declaration regarding availability of domestic wheat, non-diversion from PDS or stock-limited channels, and compliance with applicable laws
- Details of imported wheat availability in case of EOU/ SEZ/ AA holders
- CA-certified turnover statement for the preceding five financial years, wherever applicable
Eligibility Conditions and Grounds for Rejection
- Incomplete or deficient applications will not be considered.
- Applications received through email or post will be rejected outright.
- Applicants eligible for listing on the “Source from India” facility on the Trade Connect e-Platform must ensure they are duly listed; failure to do so will result in rejection.
- Any misdeclaration will render the applicant ineligible for allocation for the next three years.
Non-Transferability and Minimum Quantity Norm
- Export authorisations issued under these modalities are strictly non-transferable and must be utilised only by the allottee IEC holder.
- Applications seeking export of less than 2,500 MT of wheat flour or related products shall not be considered for allocation.
Scope and Applicability of the Modalities
These modalities apply exclusively to exports of:
- Wheat flour and related products under HS Code 1101
- Manufactured in India using domestic wheat
- Exported under the quantitative window created by Notification No. 55/2025-26
Exports made under Advance Authorisation or by EOUs or SEZ units using imported wheat in terms of Notification No. 39/2015-20 dated 14 October 2022, shall continue to be governed by the respective notifications and will not be counted against the quota permitted under Notification No. 55 dated 16 January 2026.
Allocation Mechanism and Role of the Special EFC
A Special Exim Facilitation Committee (EFC) has been constituted to decide the quantity of exports permitted against each approved application.
- The Special EFC shall ordinarily meet once every month.
- While examining applications, the committee shall consider:
- Previous export history of the applicant
- Processing capacity of the manufacturer or supporting manufacturer
- Existence of valid contracts between merchant exporters and manufacturers
The committee is also empowered to re-allocate unutilised quantities based on periodic review of exporter performance.
Reporting Obligations
Exporters who are allocated quota must submit the landing certificate within 30 days of completion of export of each consignment.
Any additional documentation required for verification shall be communicated by the Special EFC to the exporter.
Effect of Public Notice No. 44/2025-26
The Public Notice formally prescribes the procedure for inviting, examining, and processing applications for export authorisation of wheat flour and related products under ITC HS Code 1101, as notified under Notification No. 55 dated 16 January 2026, as amended from time to time.
All applications shall be processed strictly in accordance with the modalities laid down in this Public Notice.
DGFT Compliance Checklist: Export of Wheat Flour
1. Eligibility Verification ✅
☐ Exporter holds a valid Importer Exporter Code (IEC)
☐ Exporter category falls under one of the permitted categories:
- Manufacturer exporter (flour mill / processing unit)
- Merchant exporter with valid tie-up with flour mill
- EOU / SEZ unit / Advance Authorisation holder (seeking allocation over and above imported wheat entitlement)
☐ Valid FSSAI licence available (manufacturer and/or merchant exporter, as applicable)
☐ Product falls strictly under ITC HS Code 1101
☐ Wheat flour manufactured using domestic wheat (for quota exports)
2. Application Filing Compliance 🖥️
☐ Application submitted online only through DGFT portal (Path: Services → Export Management Systems → License for Restricted Exports)
☐ Application submitted within the notified window:
- 21–31 January 2026 (first window), or
- Last 10 days of subsequent months
☐ No application submitted via email or physical post
3. Minimum Quantity Requirement 📦
☐ Quantity applied for is not less than 2,500 MT
☐ Quantity applied is realistic and supported by production capacity and contracts
4. Mandatory Documents Uploaded 📑
☐ IEC details
☐ Exporter category declaration
☐ Status Holder Certificate / AEO details (if applicable)
☐ Installed capacity and average monthly production capacity
☐ FSSAI licence and factory address of manufacturer/supporting manufacturer
☐ FSSAI licence of merchant exporter (if applicable)
☐ Past export performance details (where available)
☐ Quantity applied (item-wise & country-wise)
☐ Port(s) of loading and shipment schedule
☐ Confirmed export orders / contracts (wherever available)
☐ Self-declaration confirming:
- Availability of domestic wheat
- No diversion from PDS or stock-limited channels
- Compliance with applicable laws
☐ For EOU / SEZ / AA holders:
- Details of imported wheat availability
- Advance Authorisation details (if applicable)
☐ CA-certified turnover statement for the preceding five financial years (where applicable)
5. Platform & Declaration Compliance 🔍
☐ Exporter listed on “Source from India” section of the Trade Connect e-Platform
☐ All declarations are true, complete, and accurate
☐ No misdeclaration (risk of 3-year debarment from future allocations)
6. Authorisation Conditions 📜
☐ Export authorisation issued in exporter’s own IEC
☐ Authorisation is non-transferable
☐ Validity period checked (6 months from date of issue)
☐ Extension requests, if any, routed only through DGFT (Special EFC)
7. Scope & Usage Check ⚠️
☐ Export made under quota created by Notification No. 55/2025-26
☐ Product manufactured in India using domestic wheat
☐ Exports under Advance Authorisation using imported wheat, or EOU/SEZ exports using imported wheat are not counted against the quota and governed by earlier notifications
8. Post-Export Reporting Obligations 📊
☐ Export completed within authorised quantity and validity period
☐ Landing certificate submitted within 30 days of completion of export
☐ Any additional documents furnished as requested by the Special EFC
9. Risk & Monitoring Awareness 🚨
☐ Export performance monitored periodically by DGFT
☐ Unutilised or underutilised quota may be re-allocated by Special EFC
☐ Continued compliance required for future monthly allocations
Exporters should maintain a separate internal compliance file for each DGFT authorisation, including Application copy, Approval letter, Shipping bills, Landing certificates, EFC communications, etc.
Source: DGFT Public Notice No. 44/2025-26 dated 16/01/2026