No RoDTEP on DFIA Exports: JNCH Public Notice 126/2026 Orders Recovery — Affected Exporters Get 30 Days

What changed, who it affects, what to do: On 7 October 2026, the Office of the Commissioner of Customs, NS-II, JNCH (Nhava Sheva) issued Public Notice No. 126/2026 confirming that exports made under the Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) scheme are not eligible for RoDTEP, and directing exporters who wrongly availed the benefit to repay it with applicable interest within 30 days. The notice lists hundreds of affected exporters and comes into force with immediate effect. While issued by JNCH, the underlying position — no RoDTEP on DFIA exports — applies nationally.

What Happened

The public notice follows a DGFT clarification that DFIA-scheme exports fall outside the RoDTEP benefit. When DGFT (Notification No. 70/2023, dated 8 March 2024) extended RoDTEP to exports made under Advance Authorisation, EOU and SEZ routes from 11 March 2024, DFIA exports were not included. The JNCH notice makes clear it is not announcing a fresh withdrawal — DFIA was never covered — but is enforcing the existing position and recovering benefits that were claimed in error.

Key elements of the notice:

• Annexure-A lists 348 entries covering 345 distinct Importer-Exporter Codes (IECs), with about Rs 9.75 crore (Rs 9,75,07,625) of RoDTEP accruals across 8,282 shipping bills, for the period 11 March 2024 to 10 September 2026.
• Repayment: Affected exporters must repay or reverse the inadmissible RoDTEP benefit, together with applicable interest in accordance with law.
• 30-day deadline: Exporters must send payment particulars to the Drawback Section of JNCH within 30 days of the notice — roughly early November 2026 — at the designated email address.
• Beyond the list: The notice extends to exporters who availed similar inadmissible benefits even if not named in Annexure-A, and tells exporters and brokers to stop claiming RoDTEP on future DFIA shipping bills.
• Non-compliance: Failure to report may lead to proceedings under the Customs Act and insertion of an alert for recovery of government dues.

Why This Matters / Background

RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) refunds embedded taxes and levies not otherwise rebated. The scheme's eligibility is deliberately bounded: certain schemes that already neutralise input duties are excluded to avoid double benefit. DFIA, which allows duty-free import of inputs against an export obligation, is one such route — so layering RoDTEP on top would double-count the relief.

The error appears to have been systemic: RoDTEP accrued on shipping bills where DFIA exports were not correctly flagged as ineligible. The JNCH notice is a cleanup — recovering past accruals and preventing future ones.

Who's Affected

Exporters who made DFIA-scheme exports and received RoDTEP are directly affected, especially those named in Annexure-A, but also any exporter nationally who claimed RoDTEP on DFIA shipping bills. Customs brokers who filed those bills, and exporters routing DFIA exports through other customs houses (which may issue similar notices), should also take note.

What Exporters and CHAs Should Do Now

• Check whether your IEC appears in Annexure-A to Public Notice 126/2026, and whether you have claimed RoDTEP on any DFIA export since 11 March 2024.
• If you availed the benefit, prepare to repay or reverse it with applicable interest, and report payment particulars to the JNCH Drawback Section within the 30-day window.
• Stop claiming RoDTEP on DFIA shipping bills immediately, and correct scheme flags in your filing workflow.
• Reconcile your RoDTEP scrip ledger against your DFIA exports to quantify exposure before the deadline.
• Even if not named, self-assess exposure — the notice expressly covers unlisted exporters — and consult your CHA or advisor on voluntary correction.
• Exporters at other ports should watch for parallel public notices from their jurisdictional Customs house.

The Bigger Picture

This is part of a broader tightening of post-export remission discipline, where Customs and DGFT are reconciling scheme eligibility against actual claims and recovering double benefits. For exporters, the lesson is that scheme stacking must be checked at the shipping-bill stage, not assumed. Prompt voluntary correction is far cheaper than contesting a recovery with interest and a dues alert later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a new rule banning RoDTEP on DFIA exports? No. DFIA exports were never eligible for RoDTEP; the notice enforces the existing position and recovers benefits claimed in error.

How much time do I have to respond? Thirty days from the date of the public notice to report payment particulars to the JNCH Drawback Section — approximately early November 2026.

I'm not in Annexure-A. Does this apply to me? Potentially. The notice expressly extends to exporters who availed similar inadmissible benefits even if not named. Self-assess your exposure.

What if I ignore it? The notice warns of proceedings under the Customs Act and an alert for recovery of government dues, which can disrupt future clearances.

Conclusion

JNCH Public Notice 126/2026 enforces a clear line — no RoDTEP on DFIA exports — and gives affected exporters a short, 30-day window to repay with interest. Exporters should check their exposure against Annexure-A and their own records now, stop claiming RoDTEP on DFIA shipping bills, and report to the JNCH Drawback Section before the deadline. The position applies nationally, so DFIA exporters at every port should act rather than wait for a local notice.

This is general guidance. Verify the text, Annexure-A and deadline of Public Notice No. 126/2026 (JNCH) with the jurisdictional Customs authority and the CBIC/DGFT portals before acting.