The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has clarified that units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) are permitted to import silver jewellery — both plain and studded — as allowed under existing provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) and SEZ Act.
This clarification addresses concerns arising from DGFT Notification No. 34/2025-26, which had restricted the import of silver jewellery. DGFT has now clarified that such restrictions do not apply to SEZ and EOU units, as Rule 27 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, and para 6.01(d) of FTP already allows import of restricted items by these entities.
Issued through Policy Circular No. 06/2025-26 dated 27th October 2025, the clarification has been made to facilitate units operating within SEZs and EOUs engaged in export-linked manufacturing.
The clarification comes as a relief to the export sector after GJEPC’s active engagement with the government to ensure that export-linked manufacturing operations remain unaffected by the recent import policy changes.
Imports under the Advance Authorisation and Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) schemes also remain exempt from the restrictions, as per Para 4.18(iv) of FTP 2023.