The Government has exempted small exporters from having to officially register, in a bid to reduce compliances and facilitate exports through post, courier and other emerging channels, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Wednesday (September 16, 2026).
“The Government has introduced a de minimis exemption from the requirement of Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) or Certificate of Registration for small-value export consignments up to ₹3 lakh,” the Ministry said in a release.
“The measure is aimed at reducing the compliance burden for new and small exporters and facilitating exports through Postal, Courier and other emerging channels,” it added.
According to the data presented by the government covering 2021-22 to 2025-26, low-value exports account for a significant share of shipping bills but a very small proportion of the overall export value.
“Consignments up to $3,000, for instance, account for 43% of shipping bills but only 0.86% of India’s total merchandise export value,” the government said. “The exemption is therefore expected to cover a substantial number of small-value export transactions while having only a marginal impact on the overall value of exports.”
Prior to this change, exporters were required to obtain an RCMC or Certificate of Registration from the relevant export promotion council or commodity board.
“For new or occasional exporters undertaking small-value consignments, this involves an additional compliance step, including identifying the appropriate registering body, submitting the prescribed documents and completing the registration process before undertaking exports,” the government noted.
Once exporters move past the ₹3 lakh threshold, the government said they can obtain membership of the relevant export promotion councils or commodity boards and thereby access export promotion, market access, and other institutional support.
Published – September 16, 2026 06:18 pm IST
