DGFT Sets a Two-Day Deadline for Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates and Gives a One-Time Window to Clear the Backlog

If you import metallic scrap, or you work with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA), a small but operationally important change has just landed. The DGFT has tightened the timeline for issuing Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates (PSICs) to two days from the date of inspection, and — recognising that system restrictions had left some certificates stuck — has opened a one-time seven-day window for agencies to clear their backlog.

What Happened

Through Trade Notice No. 28/2026-27 dated 16 September 2026, the DGFT amended the provisions governing the revised PSIA/PSIC module on its portal. Under the substituted provision, a PSIC must be generated and issued within two days of the inspection date, and the system will permit generation only within that two-day window. This follows the earlier tightening of the module (which required certificates to be tied to the inspection date and added evidence-upload requirements) and puts a hard, system-enforced clock on issuance.

Because the earlier system constraints had prevented some agencies from issuing certificates for inspections already carried out, the Trade Notice also grants a one-time relaxation of seven days from the date of the notice for recognised PSIAs to clear backlog PSICs relating to inspections conducted before 25 August 2026.

Why / Background

A PSIC is the document a recognised PSIA issues to certify that imported consignments — most importantly shredded metallic scrap — have been inspected at the load port and are free of arms, ammunition, explosives, radioactive material and other contamination. It is a precondition for clearance of such scrap at Indian ports, and delays or gaps in PSIC issuance can hold up consignments and containers. By forcing issuance within two days and closing off late generation, the DGFT is trying to make the certificate contemporaneous with the inspection and to stop back-dated or long-delayed certificates. The seven-day relaxation is a housekeeping measure so genuine, already-inspected consignments are not caught by the new discipline.

Who's Affected

Recognised PSIAs, who must now generate certificates within the two-day window and use the relaxation to clear anything pending; and importers of shredded and other metallic scrap (and any other goods requiring a PSIC), whose clearance depends on the certificate being valid and timely. Customs house agents handling scrap consignments should factor the tighter timeline into their coordination with the inspection agency.

What Importers and PSIAs Should Do Now

• PSIAs: clear the backlog immediately. Use the one-time seven-day window to issue any PSICs pending for inspections conducted before 25 August 2026 — after the window closes, the system will not allow late generation.
• Book inspections to align with the two-day rule. Importers should schedule pre-shipment inspection so the agency can generate and issue the PSIC within two days, and confirm the certificate is issued before the goods are shipped.
• Verify the PSIC before the consignment sails. Check that the certificate is generated on the portal, carries the correct authorisation and inspection details, and matches the consignment.
• Build the timeline into contracts. Where a supplier arranges inspection abroad, make timely PSIC issuance a contractual condition to avoid clearance delays at the Indian port.
• Keep evidence ready. Ensure the inspection photos and video that the module requires are captured and uploaded, so issuance is not held up.

The Bigger Picture

This Trade Notice is part of a run of DGFT process upgrades in 2026 — same-day/short-window certificate discipline, larger evidence uploads, digitally signed communications and API-based filing — all pointing the same way: less manual latitude, more system-enforced timelines, and a cleaner audit trail. For compliant importers and agencies the payoff is faster, more predictable clearance of scrap; for anyone relying on delayed or after-the-fact certificates, the room to do so is closing.

Frequently Asked Questions

By when must a PSIC now be issued? Within two days of the date of inspection. The portal will only allow generation within that window.

What is the seven-day relaxation for? It is a one-time window from the date of the Trade Notice for recognised PSIAs to clear backlog PSICs for inspections conducted before 25 August 2026, which could not be issued earlier because of system restrictions.

Which imports need a PSIC? Most importantly shredded metallic scrap, where a PSIC from a recognised agency certifying the consignment is free of arms, ammunition, explosives and radioactive contamination is required for clearance.

Does this change who can issue a PSIC? No. Only DGFT-recognised PSIAs issue PSICs; the change is to the timeline and the backlog-clearance window, not to eligibility.

Conclusion

The message is simple: inspection and certificate must now move together. Importers should align inspection scheduling with the two-day issuance rule, and PSIAs should use the seven-day window before it lapses — because once it does, the system will not generate a late certificate.

This summary is for general guidance only. Confirm the exact terms against Trade Notice No. 28/2026-27 and the PSIA/PSIC module guidance on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in) before acting.