Wheat flour ban will not apply to maida, semolina: DGFT

Exporters of wheat flour (atta) will need a quality certification from the Export Inspection Council or one of the four identified Export Inspection Agencies, in addition to approval from the inter-ministerial committe for export of wheat, before shipping, the government has said.

To get the required NOC (no objection certificate) from the inter-ministerial committee (IMC), all exporters will be required to submit their request in the specified format filled through DGFT’s online module, a trade notice issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Monday pointed out.

The Centre had amended the  export policy on wheat flour earlier this month mandating export be subject to the recommendation of the IMC on the export of wheat from July 12.

While the government had underlined wheat flour export remained free as the objective of the notification was to ensure quality, sources said that with wheat export ban in place since May 13 2022, it was also important to maintain a vigil on export of wheat flour.

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Clarification on other wheat-based products

The amended export policy for wheat flour, however, does not apply to maida or semolina (suji) the export of which remains free without any conditions, the DGFT’s latest notice clarified. 

Per the trade notice, exporters need to submit the purchase order copy of invoice and documentary evidence in case the firm is ISO 22000 compliant.

A processing fee of ₹1000 is to be paid at the time of online submission.

“Online filed complete applications in the desired format received for export of wheat flour (atta) shall be considered by the IMC on export of wheat in its weekly meeting every Thursday. Accordingly, all such applications received till Monday, would be for the weekly meeting on Thursday, the same week,” the notice stated.

On the basis of recommendations of the IMC, further decision would be taken and necessary communication will be issued to the applicant as well as the relevant Customs authority, it added.

The approval of IMC for export of wheat flour will be valid for three months.

Export of all the shipments approved by IMC shall be allowed only after a quality certificate is issued by the Export Inspection Council, the official export certification body of India, or its Export Inspection Agencies at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, as per the requirements to be notified separately by EIC, the trade notice specified. 

“The Quality Certificate issued by EIC to the applicants recommended by IMC will be mandatory for export of wheat flour (atta) and the same will have to be produced before the Custom Authorities for export clearance,” the notice said.

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