B2B Trade & Import-Export
Cross-border trade, compliance, documentation
EDPMS & IDPMS: Complete Guide for Indian Importers and Exporters (2026 Update)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) runs two core trade-monitoring platforms: IDPMS for imports and EDPMS for exports. Together they connect Customs, authorised dealer (AD) banks, and RBI so that every dollar of foreign exchange going out or coming into India is matched with actual trade. The Import Data Processing and Monitoring System (IDPMS) is RBI’s central digital platform to track import transactions from shipment to final payment. It went live nationwide on 10 October 2016 after pilot work a
What Is a Merchanting Trade Transaction? The 2026 Guide to RBI Rules, FEMA Compliance & What Changed on 1 October
A merchanting trade transaction is a trade where an Indian entity buys goods from a seller in one foreign country and sells them to a buyer in another foreign country, with the goods shipping directly between those two countries and never entering India's Domestic Tariff Area. The Indian party is a principal, not a broker, it takes title, takes the risk, and keeps the margin between the import leg and the export leg. Merchanting trade is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India under FEMA, and bot
BRC in Export: Full Form, eBRC and How to Generate and Download It (2026)
In export, BRC stands for Bank Realisation Certificate: the record that the payment for a specific export has been received in India against that shipping bill or invoice. Today it exists as the eBRC, the electronic Bank Realisation Certificate on DGFT's portal. Since Trade Notice 33/2023-24 dated 10 November 2023, the exporter generates it by self-certification from the Inward Remittance Messages (IRMs) the bank sends to DGFT. It is used to claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy and, for
Certificate of Origin (COO) in India: The 2026 Guide for Importers and Exporters
A certificate of origin in India is the document that proves where goods were made, and it decides whether an importer can claim the lower customs duty agreed under a trade agreement. Importers produce it at the time of filing the Bill of Entry to claim that rate. Exporters obtain it on DGFT's trade.gov.in portal so their overseas buyer can do the same. Since March 2025 the law calls it a proof of origin, a term that covers both certificates from issuing authorities and, where an agreement allow
What Is Custom Duty? Types, Calculation and How to Pay It in 2026
Customs duty is the tax Indian Customs charges on goods crossing the border. On imports you pay it before your cargo is released, no payment, no Out of Charge, no delivery. It is calculated on the assessable value of the shipment, not the invoice value, and it is almost never a single tax. That last point is where most importers lose money. You budget for "20% duty," the Bill of Entry lands at 44%, and the difference was sitting in three separate line items you didn't know were stacked on top o
High Sea Sales in India (2026): Meaning, GST Treatment & Where to Report It
A high sea sale is the sale of imported goods while they are still in transit, after the shipment has left the foreign port and before it is cleared for home consumption in India. Ownership passes by endorsing the bill of lading to the new buyer, who then becomes the importer of record, files the Bill of Entry in their own name and pays the customs duty and IGST. Two things about high sea sales changed after most of the standard explanations were written, and both change what you actually do. S