RoDTEP Rates Guaranteed Only Through 30 September 2026 — Plan Ahead

Time-sensitive: The current continuation of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme — notified by DGFT Notification No. 74/2025-26 dated 31 March 2026 — keeps the scheme, and the existing rates and value caps in Appendix 4R and 4RE, in force only up to 30 September 2026. As of early September, no further extension beyond that date has been notified. Exporters should not assume automatic continuity at the same rates from 1 October 2026.

What Happened

RoDTEP refunds embedded central, state and local duties and taxes that are not otherwise rebated, delivered as transferable e-scrips against export shipping bills. The scheme runs on periodic extensions rather than a permanent statutory life. The March 2026 notification extended it for six months (1 April to 30 September 2026) with rates and caps frozen at their 31 March 2026 levels and all other terms unchanged.

Two things make the 30 September cliff worth watching. First, the government's own budget messaging in 2026 pointed to reduced RoDTEP funding, and an earlier February 2026 measure had already capped many rates (broadly at 50% of notified levels for products outside ITC-HS Chapters 1–24), so the fiscal direction has been toward tighter, not richer, remission. Second, past renewals have sometimes been notified close to — or slightly after — the expiry date, creating short periods of uncertainty for shipments made right at the changeover.

Who's Affected

Every RoDTEP-eligible exporter across sectors, especially those with thin margins where the rebate is a decisive part of price competitiveness, and those shipping around the month-end boundary. Customs brokers and export finance teams that build RoDTEP into costing and cash-flow forecasts are equally exposed.

What Exporters Should Do Now

• File and finalise pending RoDTEP claims on shipping bills up to 30 September 2026 promptly, ensuring the RoDTEP declaration is correctly made at the shipping-bill stage (a missed declaration cannot be added later).
• Reconcile and convert e-scrips you already hold; don't let scrips sit idle near a policy transition.
• Stress-test pricing for scenarios from 1 October: same rates extended, lower rates, or a temporary gap. Avoid quoting long-dated contracts that assume today's rebate without a clause.
• Watch the DGFT website daily in the last week of September for a continuation notification and any revised Appendix 4R/4RE rates.
• Build a fallback into contracts — a price-adjustment or policy-change clause covering incentive withdrawal or reduction.
• Coordinate shipment timing where feasible so high-value consignments are not stranded across an uncertain rate boundary.

The Bigger Picture

RoDTEP is WTO-compatible by design — it rebates actual embedded taxes rather than subsidising exports — which is why it replaced MEIS. But its reliance on rolling extensions and periodic rate revisions means exporters carry recurring policy-timing risk. The prudent posture is to treat RoDTEP as valuable but not guaranteed at any fixed rate: claim what is available now, and plan pricing so a change in the rebate does not turn a profitable order into a loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does RoDTEP end on 30 September 2026? The current extension guarantees the scheme and its rates only up to that date. The government has extended RoDTEP repeatedly before, but no further extension has been notified yet — so plan for uncertainty rather than assuming continuity.

If rates change on 1 October, which rate applies to my shipment? Ordinarily the rate in force on the shipping-bill date applies. Confirm against the operative notification, and time shipments carefully around the boundary.

Can I claim RoDTEP if I forgot to make the declaration on the shipping bill? The RoDTEP claim intent must be recorded at the shipping-bill stage. A missing declaration generally cannot be remedied afterwards, so check every export document.

Where will the extension appear? On the DGFT website as a notification amending the RoDTEP scheme and, where relevant, Appendices 4R and 4RE.

Conclusion

RoDTEP's current rates are locked only through 30 September 2026. Clear your claims now, use your scrips, watch DGFT for a renewal, and price forward orders so your margins survive a change in the rebate.

This alert is for general guidance. Verify the current status, effective dates and rates against the official DGFT RoDTEP notifications before acting.