Government permits e-commerce shipment via Foreign Post Offices

The Customs Department plans to permit e-commerce shipment via foreign post offices. Exports by Post Regulations, 2018, prescribing the Postal Bill of Export-I for E-commerce shipments and Postal Bill of Export-II for non-E-commerce shipments, have been issued. Further, Circular No. 14/2018-Customs dated 4th June 2018 has been issued clarifying the procedure for e-commerce exports, other than e-commerce exports and personal imports through posts.

Exports by e-commerce are allowed through notified foreign post offices. However, as per the extant notification of 26th July, 2018 issued by Department of Commerce benefits of Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) in respect of e-commerce exports is restricted to notified goods of FOB value up to ₹ 5 lakh per consignment.

This was stated by Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Minister of State for Finance in a Written Reply to a Question in Lok Sabha.