FIEO Services on FIEO.GlobalLinker offers the Indian Trade Portal - a powerful tool for enabling trade that provides all necessary information from tariffs to SPS-TBT (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures-Technical Barriers to Trade) measures to MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme) to domestic GST on products permitted to export out of or imported into India. 

The Indian Trade Portal provides vital information helping the domestic exporters determine the tariff preference they may enjoy vis-à-vis other foreign exporters through trade treaties signed by India & other countries to promote foreign trade.

For instance, India has MFN (Most Favoured Nation) preferential tariff with over 50 countries, and the nature of those agreements and making an assessment before investing, are two things that an exporter can do. Similarly, 50 nations have MFN preferential tariffs with India. Importers can use this information as a stepping stone to determine the advantageous course of doing business.

There are four inputs when using the portal:

1. Search product description

2. Select the ITC HS (Indian Trade Clarification based on Harmonised System of Coding) Code

3. Select country of interest for export or import

4. Select corresponding ITC HS code of the importing country

Information will be revealed around 6 main items:

1. MFN tariff or basic customs duty
2. Other preferential tariffs
3. Rules of origin (These are the laws domestically or in other countries around the trade in a particular product)
4. Non-tariff measures (policy measures other than ordinary customs tariffs that can potentially have an economic effect on international trade in goods, changing quantities traded, or prices or both)
5. MEIS (Merchandise Export from India Scheme) & drawback rates
6. Export-import policy of India - This is essential for any exporter and importer from India to know. 

There are other features on the Indian Trade Portal including monthly bulletins, information about GST and FAQs on the business trade answered by experts from FIEO. 

FIEO’s Indian Trade Portal accessible through FIEO GlobalLinker is a one-stop for exporters and importers to get answers for all the questions they could have about international trade. They can keep up-to-date with current events in the sphere of international trade, learn specifics around policy about products and services to make better decisions about how to do business, and also stay abreast of changes in domestic policy. 

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.