Date Of Reckoning Of Import And Export

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORT / EXPORT POLICY WITH REGARD TO DATE OF IMPORT / EXPORT

As per Para 1.05(b) of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 (FTP), Item wise Import/Export Policy is outlined in the ITC (HS) Schedule I and Schedule II respectively.

The importability/ exportability of a particular item is governed by the policy as on the date of import/ export.

Therefore, to understand the applicability of the Import / Export Policy, it is very important to understand the date of import / export which is defined in Para 2.17 of the Handbook of Procedures (HBP 2023)

DATE OF RECKONING OF IMPORT / EXPORT

Para 2.17 of the HBP defines the date of reckoning of Import / Export.

Date of Reckoning of Import -

Date of Reckoning of Import is decided with reference to date of shipment/dispatch of goods from the supplying country as given in Paragraph 11.11 of the Handbook of Procedures and not the date of arrival of goods at an Indian port.

As the date of reckoning of import is based on the date of shipment / dispatch of goods. Therefore, now we will understand about the date of shipment / dispatch in respect of Imports

S. No	Mode of Transportation	Date of Shipment/Dispatch
i	By Sea	Date affixed on the Bill of Lading
ii	By Air	Date of relevant Airway Bill, provided this represents date on which goods have left the last airport in the country from which the import is effected.
iii	From landlocked countries	Date of dispatch of goods by rail, road or other recognised modes of transport to consignee in India through consignment basis.
iv	By Post Parcel	Date stamp of the office of dispatch on the packet or dispatch note.
v	By Registered Courier Service	Date affixed on Courier Receipt/Waybill.
vi	Multimodal Transport	Date of handing over goods to the first carrier in a combined transport Bill of Lading.

Date of reckoning of Exports –

Date of Reckoning of Export is decided with reference to date of shipment/dispatch of goods from India as given in Paragraph 11.12 of the Handbook of Procedures.

Date of Reckoning of Export for the benefits under FTP – Let Export Order (LEO) Date shall be the date of reckoning of export.

Now we will understand about the date of shipment / dispatch in respect of exports.

S. No	Mode of Transportation	Date of Shipment/Dispatch
i	By Sea	For bulk cargo, date of Bill of Lading or date of mate receipt, whichever is later. For containerised cargo, date of "Onboard Bill of Lading", or "Received for Shipment Bill of Lading", where the L/C provides for such Bill of Lading. For exports by containers from Inland Container Depot (ICD), date of Bill of Lading issued by shipping agents at the time of loading of export goods in ICD after customs clearance. For Lash barges, date of Bill of Lading evidencing loading of export goods on board.
ii	By Air	Date mentioned by appropriate Officer of Customs on Shipping Bill, evidencing loading or handing over of goods to air cargo complex, which are not international airports, or by way of rotation of flight number and date
iii	By Post Parcel	Date stamped on postal receipt
iv	By Rail	Date of Railway Receipt (RR)
v	By Registered Courier Service	Date affixed on Courier Receipt/Waybill.
vi	By Road	Date on which goods crossed Indian border as certified by Land Customs Authorities

Conclusion

In conclusion, the revised guidelines on the date of reckoning for import and export shipments under the EPCG Scheme provide clear and standardized criteria for various modes of transportation. By specifying exact dates for shipment or dispatch—whether by sea, air, post parcel, rail, registered courier service, or road—the Directorate General of Foreign Trade ensures a consistent and transparent framework. These amendments not only simplify compliance but also enhance the ease of doing business by reducing ambiguities and streamlining the export-import process.

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