DGFT Waives RCMC for Export Consignments up to ₹3 Lakh FOB

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has removed a long-standing paperwork hurdle for small exporters. Under Notification No. 36/2026-27 dated 15 September 2026, an export consignment whose Free-on-Board (FOB) value does not exceed ₹3,00,000 (₹3 lakh) no longer needs a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) or Certificate of Registration. For first-time sellers, artisans, and businesses shipping low-value parcels through post and courier channels, that is one less registration to obtain before shipping.

What Happened

DGFT amended the Foreign Trade Policy framework so that the RCMC requirement "shall not apply to an export consignment where the FOB value of the consignment does not exceed ₹3,00,000." In practice:

Low-value exports up to ₹3 lakh FOB can proceed without an RCMC or Certificate of Registration.
Consignments above ₹3 lakh FOB continue to require a valid RCMC wherever one is otherwise mandated under FTP 2023.
The relief is aimed squarely at small-value shipments, including those moving through postal, courier and emerging e-commerce export channels.
The exemption takes effect from the date of the notification.

Background: What an RCMC Is

An RCMC is issued by an Export Promotion Council (EPC) or commodity board and has traditionally been a gateway document — exporters need it to access many FTP benefits and, in several cases, simply to be recognised as a registered exporter. For a large exporter, obtaining and maintaining an RCMC is routine. For someone dispatching a ₹20,000 handicraft parcel or testing an overseas market with a small courier shipment, the registration step has been a disproportionate burden. This notification lifts that burden for genuinely small consignments.

Who Benefits

First-time and occasional exporters testing products abroad in small quantities.
Artisans, weavers and MSMEs shipping low-value goods.
E-commerce and direct-to-consumer sellers using postal and courier export routes, where individual parcels are typically well under ₹3 lakh.
Courier and postal exporters who handle large volumes of small consignments.

By cutting the entry paperwork, DGFT makes it easier to start exporting and to scale small cross-border e-commerce — a segment the government has been trying to formalise and grow.

Important Limits and Caveats

The waiver is about the RCMC specifically; it does not switch off other baseline requirements. In particular:

An Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) and other core registrations may still be needed to export.
Product-specific controls — restricted/prohibited goods, quality and standards requirements, and sector regulators (for example food, pharma or wildlife rules) — continue to apply regardless of consignment value.
The threshold is assessed per consignment on FOB value; structuring larger shipments into artificially small consignments to dodge the RCMC requirement would invite scrutiny.
Where an exporter wants FTP scheme benefits that are tied to EPC membership, holding an RCMC may still be advantageous even below the threshold.

What Small Exporters Should Do Now

Check whether your typical consignment FOB value sits at or below ₹3 lakh — if so, you can ship without arranging an RCMC first.
Make sure your IEC and any product-specific registrations are still in place; the RCMC waiver does not remove these.
If you sell through courier or postal export channels, confirm with your logistics partner how the exemption is reflected in the shipping documentation.
Keep clean records of FOB value per consignment in case of verification.
If you intend to claim FTP incentives that need EPC membership, weigh whether to obtain an RCMC anyway.

The Bigger Picture

This sits alongside other 2026 moves to simplify low-value and digital exports — automated certificate issuance, open-API certificates of origin and a broader push on e-commerce exports. The common thread is reducing friction at the small end of the trade, where compliance costs bite hardest and discourage new entrants. For CHAs and logistics providers serving small sellers, it is a selling point: starting to export just got cheaper and faster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this mean I can export anything up to ₹3 lakh without any registration? No. It waives the RCMC/Certificate of Registration only. You may still need an IEC and must comply with product-specific and regulator-specific rules.

Is the ₹3 lakh limit per shipment or per year? It is assessed per export consignment on FOB value, not an annual cap.

I ship through a courier/e-commerce channel — does this help me? Yes. Small parcels typically fall under ₹3 lakh FOB, so the RCMC step can be skipped for those consignments.

Should I still get an RCMC? If you want FTP benefits that require EPC membership, an RCMC may still be worthwhile even below the threshold.

Conclusion

DGFT's ₹3 lakh RCMC waiver lowers the entry barrier for small and first-time exporters, especially in postal and e-commerce channels. Just remember it removes one document, not the whole compliance stack — IEC and product rules still apply.

This article is for general guidance only. Verify the exact scope and conditions against DGFT Notification No. 36/2026-27 and the Foreign Trade Policy on the DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in) before acting.