RCMC exemption up to 3 lakh is now the operative rule for eligible low-value export consignments after DGFT changed the Foreign Trade Policy framework. The exemption is specific: where an export consignment’s FOB value does not exceed ₹3,00,000, the RCMC or Certificate of Registration requirement under FTP Para 2.57 does not apply. It does not mean that IEC or every other export compliance requirement has disappeared.
Direct answer: If the FOB value of an export consignment is ₹3 lakh or less, the new DGFT rule removes the RCMC or Certificate of Registration requirement that would otherwise apply under FTP Para 2.57. IEC remains a separate requirement unless the exporter qualifies for an IEC-specific exemption, and Customs, GST, product-specific licences or restricted-goods rules may still apply.
What exactly changed in the export rule?
DGFT Notification No. 36/2026-27, dated September 15, 2026, changed the low-value export position with immediate effect. The final rule uses a ₹3 lakh threshold and applies it to each export consignment based on FOB value.
This is materially different from the earlier July consultation, which had proposed a much smaller ₹10,000 threshold. Exporters relying on older consultation coverage can therefore end up using an outdated number.
Which registration is actually waived?
The exemption concerns the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate, or RCMC, and the corresponding Certificate of Registration recognised under the Foreign Trade Policy framework. RCMC is generally issued through the relevant Export Promotion Council, Commodity Board, Development Authority or another competent body for the applicable export sector.
The key wording is not a blanket waiver of every registration an exporter may hold. It is an exemption from the RCMC or Certificate of Registration requirement for the qualifying low-value consignment.
Does the ₹3 lakh exemption remove IEC?
No. IEC and RCMC are separate compliance concepts. The new notification changes the RCMC or Certificate of Registration rule under FTP Para 2.57. It does not amend the separate FTP rule that generally requires an Importer-Exporter Code for import or export activity unless a specific IEC exemption applies.
This distinction matters because headlines saying that export registration has been waived can be read too broadly. A shipment qualifying for the RCMC exemption can still require a valid IEC and other applicable export documentation.
Confirm whether the individual export consignment’s FOB value is ₹3,00,000 or less.
Confirm whether the compliance step you are considering is RCMC or a Certificate of Registration under the FTP framework, rather than IEC or another licence.
Do not assume the ₹3 lakh RCMC exemption automatically removes the separate IEC requirement.
Verify whether the goods need any product-specific authorisation, restricted-goods approval, certification or other statutory clearance.
Continue to follow the applicable Customs and export-document rules for the chosen shipping channel.
Do not rely on older July 2026 material that refers to the proposed ₹10,000 exemption.
Is the ₹3 lakh limit per exporter or per shipment?
The reviewed notification wording is based on an export consignment. It does not describe the ₹3 lakh amount as an annual exporter limit or a one-time lifetime exemption.
The controlling value is the consignment’s FOB value. Exporters should therefore avoid substituting an unrelated retail, marketplace or invoice-value concept if that figure is not the FOB value used for the export transaction.
What happens if the shipment is above ₹3 lakh?
If the FOB value exceeds ₹3 lakh, the new low-value exemption no longer applies. The existing RCMC or Certificate of Registration requirement continues where it would otherwise be applicable under the Foreign Trade Policy.
That does not mean every exporter above ₹3 lakh automatically needs the same council or certificate. The relevant sector, product and FTP requirement still determine which registration applies.
Does the rule cover courier, postal and e-commerce exports?
The policy change is intended to reduce compliance friction for small-value exports, with postal, courier and emerging export channels specifically highlighted in the current policy context. The operative threshold itself is written around the export consignment and its FOB value, rather than being limited only to one shipping channel.
What is not waived by this rule?
The amendment does not establish a general exemption from IEC, Customs declarations, export documents, GST-related requirements, product-specific licences, restricted-goods controls or other statutory obligations. Those requirements remain separate and depend on the exporter, goods and transaction.
Exporters should therefore treat the ₹3 lakh change as a targeted RCMC simplification, not as permission to ship goods without checking the rest of the applicable export framework.
Why do some older pages mention ₹10,000?
The ₹10,000 figure came from an earlier consultation-stage proposal. The final September 2026 amendment uses a ₹3 lakh FOB threshold. For a current shipment decision, the final operative rule should control over the older proposal.
Verification note
ThePulseSignal reviewed the reproduced text of DGFT Notification No. 36/2026-27, current reporting on the ₹3 lakh relaxation, and the official Foreign Trade Policy provisions governing RCMC and IEC. The direct DGFT-hosted final notification file was not recovered during this review, so that direct artifact remains a human-review checkpoint before publication.
Limitations and unresolved facts
DGFT may still publish FAQs, portal guidance or sector-specific implementation clarifications. The effect on individual Export Promotion Council workflows, repeated consignments, restricted products and other sector-specific requirements must be checked against current official guidance. TPS did not establish that any separate IEC, Customs, GST or product-specific obligation has been removed by this RCMC amendment.