New Delhi, 02 October (H.S.): Amid logistics disruptions in West Asia, the Central Government has extended the operational period of the RELIEF (Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) initiative to provide continued support to exporters following the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the Department of Commerce, through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated September 30, 2026, has extended the timeline prescribed under Component II of RELIEF — Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — until March 31, 2027. RELIEF is a time-bound initiative under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM).

According to the Ministry, Component II of the RELIEF scheme encourages exporters to obtain ECGC cover for upcoming shipments to designated regions, providing 95 per cent risk coverage. As per the notification, the component is available for standalone policies or whole-turnover policies obtained on or after March 16, 2026.

The Ministry of Commerce said the types of cargo covered under the benefit include Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL) and reefer containers, excluding energy shipments.

In addition, this component of RELIEF ensures that the premiums payable by eligible exporters during the applicable period will not increase compared with the levels prevailing before the disruption.

It may be recalled that RELIEF was launched on March 19, 2026, as a targeted initiative to support Indian exporters affected by exceptionally high freight costs, increased insurance premiums and war-related export risks arising from disruptions in maritime corridors in the Gulf and the wider West Asian region.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar