Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Commerce), Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued Notification No. 47/2025-26 dated 4 November 2025, amending the export policy conditions for Red Sanders (Pterocarpus Santalinus) under Chapter 44 of Schedule II of the ITC (HS) 2022 (Export Policy). The amendment has been notified under Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, along with provisions of paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023.
Export Permission Restricted to Cultivated Origin
The export of Red Sanders wood in log form and roots, exclusively of cultivation origin procured from private land including Patta land, has been classified as restricted. Export will only be permitted under a Restricted Export Authorisation, and applicants must comply with the specified procedural and documentary conditions.
Conditions for Obtaining Restricted Export Authorisation
The following conditions apply for issuing Restricted Export Authorisations for Red Sanders:
- Applications must include attested copies of a Certificate of Origin issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of the concerned State, indicating the date and quantity of legally sourced material.
- A certificate confirming the current stock position must be issued following physical verification by an authority nominated by the PCCF.
- Applications will be evaluated on merits and may be subject to conditions including CITES quantity ceilings.
- Based on recommendations of the CITES Management Authority of India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will fix an annual quota, subject to review through a National Detrimental Findings Study.
- State-wise export quotas for artificially propagated Red Sanders will be allocated in accordance with the NDF recommendations.
- No export quota will apply to wild specimens. State governments must establish a digital platform with geo-referenced plantation data and integrate sustainable harvest plans within working plan guidelines.
Annual Export Quota (April 2025 to March 2027)
The notification specifies that an annual quota of 10 MTs for Karnataka and 100 MTs for Gujarat is permitted for artificially propagated Red Sanders during the period April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027, subject to compliance with conditions mentioned in the notification.
State-wise Export Quotas for Artificially Propagated Red Sanders
| State | Annual Export Quota (April to March) in MTs |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 280 |
| Tamil Nadu | 900 |
| Karnataka | 10 |
| Gujarat | 100 |
| Total | 1,290 MTs |
The notification has been issued by Ajay Bhadoo, Director General of Foreign Trade and Ex-Officio Additional Secretary. The amendments come into immediate effect.
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