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PXL/HO/Cir-057/2026-27 Date: 15.09.2026
Hyderabad
Subject: Submission of Market Access Claims (Statutory Compliances) under Export Promotion Mission (EPM) – Niryat Disha_TRACE: reg
Reference: Session on Export Promotion Mission by DGFT on 8th September 2026 during IPHEX 2026.
Dear Member(s),
The reimbursement claims for Market Access (Statutory Compliances) under the MAI scheme are now processed through the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) – Niryat Disha (TRACE) framework, with effect from 20.02.2026.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has launched the Trade Regulations, Accreditation & Compliance Enablement (TRACE) scheme under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) – Niryat Disha vide Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 (dated 20th February 2026) and subsequent operational amendments vide Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 (dated 01st July 2026).
The initiative aims to strengthen India’s quality and technical compliance ecosystem by providing financial assistance to MSMEs involved in international value chains to meet overseas regulatory, testing, inspection, and certification requirements.
Key Highlights of the TRACE Scheme
Scope and Eligibility
· All MSMEs involved in international value chains holding an active Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) (not listed in the Denied Entity List) and a valid MSME Udyam Registration Number.
· Support applies prospectively to testing, inspection, factory/facility audits, and certifications undertaken on or after 20th February 2026.
· Covers both one-time pre-requisite costs (inspections, facility assessments, market-specific licensing) and recurring compliance costs (ongoing quality/health/safety certificates and buyer-mandated standards).
Differentiated Financial Support & Ceilings
Financial assistance is available as a partial reimbursement of actual eligible costs or the notified ceiling, whichever is lower:
· Micro & Small Enterprises: Up to 95% of actual costs.
· Medium Enterprises: Up to 80% of actual costs.
· Annual Ceiling: Up to ₹50 Lakh per IEC per financial year. (Cases requiring support exceeding ₹50 Lakh may be considered on a case-to-case basis by the DGFT Sub-Committee).
Two-Stage Disbursement Mechanism
Reimbursement under TRACE is disbursed in two equal instalments (50% each):
· Instalment 1 (RC-1 - First Claim): 50% disbursed upon successful completion of certification/testing and submission of relevant certificates, reports, invoices, and payment proofs online.
· Instalment 2 (RC-2 - Second Claim): Remaining 50% disbursed upon submitting evidence of exports and realization linked to the certified product/facility.
· Timeline Notice: Exporters must submit proof of exports within 2 years of receiving the first instalment. Failure to submit proof within 2 years will cause the second instalment to lapse, and the first instalment may be subject to recovery.
Submission of Claims on the Trade Connect Portal
All eligible member exporters are requested to review the revised guidelines and file their Intent-to-Claim and Reimbursement Claims (RC-1 & RC-2) online through the DGFT Trade Connect Portal.
Steps to File Your Claim:
All eligible member exporters are advised to register and file their claims through the official DGFT Portal:
· Log in to the official DGFT Trade Connect Portal using your IEC credentials.
· Navigate to the TRACE Scheme / Export Promotion Mission (EPM) section.
· File Intent-to-Claim (IC): Prior to or during the certification process via the online portal.
· File RC-1 (First Reimbursement Claim): Post completion of certification, upload the test reports/certificates, payment proofs, and regulatory requirement evidence.
· File RC-2 (Second Reimbursement Claim): Post export realization, upload export documentation (shipping bills, e-BRC/realization proofs) linked to the certified product.
Scope Expansion
· The dynamic list of eligible testing, inspection, and certification standards now covers 462 entries (Annexure-I of Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27).
· Merchant MSMEs are eligible for support under specified tariff lines where export models rely on aggregator frameworks.
· Exporters who graduate out of their existing MSME classification during the financial year remain eligible for support for a period of 3 years from reclassification.
All the member exporters are encouraged to submit the claim applications in the DGFT trade connect portal and avail the benefits under TRACE scheme. In case of any query kindly write email to trace.epm-dgft@gov.in, epm-dgft@gov.in, tradeconnect-dgft@gov.inand mark a copy to research@pharmexcil.com.
With regards,
Raja Bhanu
Director General
Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India
ENCL: USER MANUAL, GUIDELINES
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