The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued Notification No. 1/2025-26, dated April 1, 2025, authorizing the export of essential commodities to the Republic of Maldives for the fiscal year 2025-26, under a bilateral trade agreement. This notification specifies quantities for items including eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregate, and river sand. These exports are exempt from any existing or future restrictions or prohibitions during this period. Exports of prohibited or restricted items are permitted only through six designated Customs ports. The export of river sand and stone aggregate requires environmental clearances, adherence to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, and compliance with state regulations. CAPEXIL is tasked with ensuring suppliers meet these environmental requirements.
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Department of Commerce
Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Vanijya Bhawan
Notification No. 1/2025-26- DGFT | Dated: 1st April, 2025
Subject: Supply of essential commodities to the Republic of Maldives during 2025-26 – reg.
S.O. 1562(E): In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3, read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, and paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, as amended from time to time, the Central Government hereby amends Section (L) of the ‘General Note to Export Policy’ as follows:
1. Export of essential commodities mentioned in Column (2) of the Table-1 below, to the Republic of Maldives, during 2025-26 up to the quantities as mentioned in Column (4) of Table-1 below, is allowed under bilateral trade agreement between Government of India and Government of Maldives: –
Table-1
| S. No. | Commodity | Unit | Quantity allowed for FY 2025-26 |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| i. | Eggs | Nos. | 448,913,750 |
| ii. | Potatoes | MT | 22,589 |
| iii. | Onions | MT | 37,537 |
| iv. | Rice | MT | 130,429 |
| v. | Wheat Flour | MT | 114,621 |
| vi. | Sugar | MT | 67,719 |
| vii. | Dal | MT | 350 |
| viii. | Stone Aggregate | MT | 1,300,000 |
| ix. | River Sand | MT | 1,300,000 |
2. Export of the given commodities mentioned in Column (2) of Table-1 above, to the Republic of Maldives shall be exempt from any existing or future restrictions/prohibitions during FY 2025-26.
3. Export of essential commodities, mentioned in Column (2) of Table-1 above, falling under the prohibited/restricted category to the Republic of Maldives during 2025-26 shall be permitted only through the following six Customs Stations: –
i. Mundra Sea port(INMUN1)
ii. Tuticorin Sea Port (INTUT1)
iii. Nhava Sheva Sea Port (INNSA1)
iv. ICD Tughlakabad (INTKD6)
v. Kandla Sea (INIXY1)
vi. Visakhapatnam Sea (INVTZ1)
4. For export of the above quantities of River Sand and Stone Aggregate, as mentioned in Column (4) of Table-1 above, CAPEXIL shall ensure that suppliers/extractors have obtained the required environmental clearances and that mining is not conducted in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, as per the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification.
5. Additionally, export of River Sand and Stone Aggregate shall be permitted only upon obtaining environmental clearances/No Objection Certificates from the designated nodal authorities of the respective State Governments from which the material is sourced. This is also subject to applicable State legislation or judicial orders relating to the mining of these commodities.
Effect of this notification: Export of Eggs, Potatoes, Onions, Rice, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Dal, Stone Aggregate, and River Sand to the Republic of Maldives has been permitted under the bilateral trade agreement between the Governments of India and Maldives for the FY 202526, as per the specified quantities. These exports shall remain exempt from any existing or future restrictions or prohibitions during this period. Further, export of items classified under the prohibited or restricted category shall be allowed only through the six designated Customs ports. In the case of River Sand and Stone Aggregate, exports will also be subject to environmental clearances, CRZ norms and compliance with relevant State regulations.
(Santosh Kumar Sarangi)
Director General of Foreign Trade
Ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India
E-mail: dgft@nic.in
(Issued from F. No. 01/91/171/59/AM20/EC/E-20816)
