India Lifts Wheat Export Restrictions Amid Record Harvest

India has lifted restrictions on wheat and flour exports after issuing two notifications by its Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on August 24. The move aims to protect domestic food supplies and control inflation following global market disruptions.

The country had imposed export restrictions on wheat in 2022 but is now set for a fourth consecutive record wheat harvest, with the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service predicting a harvest of 120 million tonnes for the 2026-27 marketing season. India is the second-largest producer of wheat behind China.

The government has partially relaxed the export ban on wheat and wheat products in January, allowing exports of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 1 million tonnes of wheat products under a monitored allocation system. The exported wheat will likely go to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asia.