India Eases Export Curbs on Wheat-Based Products Amid Improved Supplies

The Indian government has relaxed its export policy on wheat-based products, lifting restrictions that were put in place in 2022 to safeguard domestic food security and contain rising prices.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced the change in a notification issued on August 24, moving items such as wheat or meslin flour, maida, semolina, wholemeal atta, and resultant atta from the prohibited category to the free list.

This means exports of these products can now proceed without restrictions. The Centre had imposed curbs in 2022 due to disruptions in global wheat supplies caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which boosted overseas demand for Indian wheat and drove domestic prices higher.

Despite a ban on wheat exports, exceptions were allowed for specific products, including a permit issued in February this year to export 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and an additional 5 LMT of wheat products, citing improved stock availability.