Sample Read
FOREIGN TRADE (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1992
CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY
1. Short title and commencement 1
2. Definitions 1
CHAPTER II
POWER OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE ORDER AND ANNOUNCE FOREIGN TRADE POLICY
3. Powers to make provisions relating to imports and exports 5
4. Continuance of existing Orders 8
5. Foreign Trade Policy 8
6. Appointment of Director General and his functions 11
CHAPTER III
IMPORTER-EXPORTER CODE NUMBER AND LICENCE
7. Importer-Exporter Code Number 11
8. Suspension and cancellation of Importer-exporter Code Number 12
9. Issue, suspension and cancellation of licence 14
CHAPTER IIIA QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS
9A. Power of Central Government to impose quantitative restrictions 15
CHAPTER IV
SEARCH, SEIZURE, PENALTY AND CONFISCATION
10. Power relating to search and seizure 17
11. Contravention of provisions of this Act, rules, orders and foreign trade policy 18
11A. Crediting sums realised by way of penalties in Consolidated Fund of India 21
11B. Empowering Settlement Commission for regularisation of export obligation default 21
12. Penalty or confiscation not to interfere with other punishments 21
13. Adjudicating Authority 22
14. Giving of opportunity to the owner of the goods, etc. 22
CHAPTER IVA CONTROLS ON EXPORT OF SPECIFIED GOODS, SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY
14A. Controls on export of specified goods, services and technology 22 14B. Transfer controls
14C. Catch-all controls
14D. Suspension or cancellation of a licence 23
14E. Offences and penalties 23 CHAPTER V
17. Powers of adjudicating and other authorities
19.
FOREIGN TRADE (REGULATION) RULES, 1993
1. Short title and commencement
2. Definitions
3. Grant of special licence
4. Application for grant of licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits
5. Fee
6. Conditions of licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits
7. Refusal to grant licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits and recovery of benefits
8. Amendment of licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits
9. Suspension of a licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits
10. Cancellation of a licence, certificate, scrip or any instrument bestowing financial or fiscal benefits
11. Declaration as to value, quantity and quality of imported goods or services or technology
12. Declaration as to importer-exporter code number
13. Utilisation of imported goods or services or technology
14. Prohibition regarding making, signing of any declaration, statement or documents
15. Power to enter premises and inspect, search and seize goods, documents, things and conveyances
16. Settlement
17. Confiscation and redemption
Confiscation of conveyance
FOREIGN TRADE (EXEMPTION FROM APPLICATION OF RULES IN CERTAIN CASES) ORDER, 1993
1. Short title and commencement
2. Definitions
3. Exemption from the application of rules
SAFEGUARD MEASURES (QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS) RULES, 2012
1. Short title and commencement
2. Definitions
3. Responsibility of Authorised Officer for making enquiry in respect to safeguard quantitative restrictions
4. Duties of Authorised Officer
5. Initiation of investigation
6. Principles governing investigations
7. Confidential information
8. Determination of serious injury or threat of serious injury
9. Final findings
10. Imposition of safeguard quantitative restrictions
11. Imposition of safeguard quantitative restrictions on non-discriminatory basis
12. Date of commencement of safeguard quantitative restrictions
13. Duration
14. Liberalization of safeguard quantitative restrictions
15. Review
FORM: Information to be provided by Applicant for Safeguard Investigation
Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992
[22 OF 1992]*
An Act to provide for the development and regulation of foreign trade by facilitating imports into, and augmenting exports from, India and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows :—
CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY
Short title and commencement.
1. (1) This Act may be called the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.
(2)Sections 11 to 14 shall come into force at once and the remaining provisions of this Act shall be deemed to have come into force on the 19th day of June, 1992.
Definitions.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a)“Adjudicating Authority” means the authority specified in, or under, section 13;
(b) “Appellate Authority” means the authority specified in, or under, sub-section (1) of section 15;
(c)“conveyance” means any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or any other means of transport including any animal;
(d)“Director General” means the Director General of Foreign Trade appointed under section 6;
1[(e) “import” and “export” means,—
(I) in relation to goods, bringing into, or taking out of, India any goods by land, sea or air;
*Dated 7-8-1992.
1. Substituted by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2010, w.e.f. 27-8-2010. Prior to its substitution, clause (e) read as under :
‘(e) “import” and “export” mean respectively bringing into, or taking out of, India any goods by land, sea or air;’
S.2 FOREIGN TRADE (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1992 2
(II) in relation to services or technology,—
(i)supplying, services or technology—
(A)from the territory of another country into the territory of India;
(B)in the territory of another country to an Indian service consumer;
(C)by a service supplier of another country, through commercial presence in India;
(D)by a service supplier of another country, through presence of their natural persons in India;
(ii)supplying, services or technology—
(A)from India into the territory of any other country;
(B)in India to the service consumer of any other country;
(C)by a service supplier of India, through commercial presence in the territory of any other country;
(D) by a service supplier of India, through presence of Indian natural persons in the territory of any other country :
Provided that “import” and “export” in relation to the goods, services and technology regarding Special Economic Zone or between two Special Economic Zones shall be governed in accordance with the provisions contained in the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005);]
(f)“Importer-exporter Code Number” means the Code Number granted under section 7;
(g)“licence” means a licence to import or export and includes a customs clearance permit and any other permission issued or granted under this Act;
(h) “Order” means any Order made by the Central Government under section 3; and
(i)“prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
2[(j) “services” means service of any description which is made available to potential users and includes all the tradable services specified under the General Agreement on Trade in Services entered into amongst India and other countries who are party to the said Agreement : Provided that, this definition shall not apply to the domain of taxation;
(k)“service supplier” means any person who supplies a service and who intends to take benefit under the foreign trade policy;
2.Clauses (j), (k), (l) and (m) inserted by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2010, w.e.f. 27-8-2010.
3 FOREIGN TRADE (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1992 S. 2
(l) “specified goods or services or technology” means the goods or services or technology, the export, import, transfer, re-transfer, transit and trans-shipment of which is prohibited or restricted because of imposition of conditions on the grounds of their being pertinent or relevant to India as a Nuclear Weapon State, or to the national security of India, or to the furtherance of its foreign policy or its international obligations under any bilateral, multilateral or international treaty, covenant, convention or arrangement relating to weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery to which India is a party or its agreement with a foreign country under the foreign trade policy formulated and notified under section 5 of the Act;
(
m) “technology” means any information (including information embodied in software), other than information in the public domain, that is capable of being used in—
(i) the development, production or use of any goods or software;
(ii) the development of, or the carrying out of, an industrial or commercial activity or the provision of service of any kind.
Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause—
(a) when technology is described wholly or partly by reference to the uses to which it (or the goods to which it relates) may be put, it shall include services which are provided or used, or which are capable of being used in the development, production or use of such technology or goods;
(b) “public domain” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (i) of section 4 of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005 (21 of 2005).]
COMMENTS
SECTION NOTES
2.1 Director General [Section 2(d)]
“Director General” means the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) appointed by the Central Government [See Section 6]
2.2 “Import” and “Export”
In relation to goods, “import” and “export” means bringing into, or taking out of, India any goods by land, sea or air;
In relation to services or technology, “import” and “export” means (i) supplying, services or technology—
(A) from the territory of another country into the territory of India;
(B) in the territory of another country to an Indian service consumer;
(C) by a service supplier of another country, through commercial presence in India;
Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992 with Rules –Bare Act with Section Notes
AUTHOR : Taxmann’s Editorial Board
PUBLISHER : Taxmann
DATE OF PUBLICATION : January 2026
EDITION : 2026 Edition
ISBN NO : 9789364554183
No. of Pages : 72
BINDING TYPE : Paperback
DESCRIPTION
Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992, with Rules [Bare Act with Section Notes] by Taxmann is an authoritative statutory compilation governing India’s foreign trade framework. Enacted to facilitate imports, promote exports, and regulate cross-border trade in goods, services, and technology, the Act forms the core of India’s export–import control regime. The 2026 Edition presents the complete, updated text of the Act along with section-wise notes, explanatory commentary, and allied subordinate legislation, offering both statutory precision and practical clarity. This publication serves as a reliable reference for understanding the powers of the Central Government, the role of the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), licensing procedures, enforcement mechanisms, penalties, and appellate remedies. This book is intended for the following audience:
• Advocates & Legal Practitioners
• Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries & Cost Accountants
• Trade & Compliance Professionals
• Government Officials & Regulators
• Students & Academicians
• Libraries & Institutions
The Present Publication is the 2026 Edition, covering the amended and updated text of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act [Act No. 22 of 1992] and Rules, with the following noteworthy features:
• [Authentic Text] Complete and operative text of the Act along with all allied Rules, Orders, and Notifications
• [Up-to-date] Reflects all statutory amendments and regulatory developments up to date
• [Statutory Updates] Covers provisions relating to services and technology, quantitative restrictions, safeguard measures, export controls, and linkages with the Special Economic Zones Act 2005
• [Pre-amendment Provisions] Includes earlier versions of amended provisions through detailed amendment footnotes
• [Section-wise Notes & Commentary] Concise notes with statutory explanations and relevant judicial references
• [Comprehensive Coverage] Includes:
o Foreign Trade (Regulation) Rules 1993
o Foreign Trade (Exemption from Application of Rules in Certain Cases) Order 1993
o Safeguard Measures (Quantitative Restrictions) Rules 2012
• [Case Law Coverage] Select Supreme Court judgments on foreign trade policy, licensing, penalties, and DGFT powers
• [Ready-reference Tool] Detailed subject index and clear statutory structure for quick navigation
• [Practical Usability] Suitable for courts, compliance teams, regulatory offices, trade bodies, and academic use
• [Compliance Guidance] Explains the interaction between foreign trade policy, customs law, SEZ framework, and international obligations