The Government of India has removed restrictions on the export of wheat as well as wheat flour and related products, allowing their exports freely with immediate effect. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issued two separate notifications on August 24, 2026 in this regard.
The notifications amend the export policy under Schedule 2 of the ITC (HS) Export Policy. In both cases, the products covered by the notifications have been shifted from the existing “Prohibited” export category to “Free” with immediate effect.
Under DGFT Notification No. 35/2026-27, dated August 24, 2026, the export policy for wheat has been amended for two ITC (HS) codes.
The existing export policy for both categories was listed as “Prohibited.” The revised policy now classifies exports under both codes as “Free.” The notification states that the export policy of the products covered under these codes shall accordingly be “Free” with immediate effect.
The DGFT notification has been issued under the powers conferred by Section 5 read with Section 3 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, as amended, and in accordance with the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023.
In a separate notification, Notification No. 34/2026-27, the government amended the export policy for wheat flour and related products. This notification covers these products: Wheat or Meslin Flour (Atta), Maida, Semolina (Rava/Sirgi), Wholemeal atta, Resultant atta. The export of these products was earlier classified as “Prohibited.” The revised export policy has now been changed to “Free.”
The immediate change from “Prohibited” to “Free” means that exports falling within the specified HS codes are no longer subject to the earlier prohibition under the export policy. The notifications, however, specifically apply to the products and HS codes listed in them. Therefore, exporters will need to classify their consignments under the applicable HS codes while undertaking exports.
The policy change allows overseas trade in both wheat and specified wheat flour products under the revised export framework. This is particularly significant for the wheat value chain because the decision covers not only raw wheat but also several processed products, including atta, maida and semolina.