The government announced on Wednesday that the allocation of the tariff rate quota (TRQ) for gold, as stipulated in the free trade agreement between India and the UAE, will proceed through a competitive bidding or tender process.
Under the agreement, India is authorized to import up to 200 metric tonnes of gold annually from the UAE with a tariff concession of one percent under the TRQ framework. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a trade notice detailing the amendment to the allocation procedure, stating that “the allocations of TRQ for Gold under CEPA (comprehensive economic partnership agreement) will be undertaken based on the competitive bidding/tender process.”
To qualify, applicants must be registered with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for hallmarking and possess a GST registration. The notice emphasized that the importation of Gold Dore under the TRQ will not be allowed.
Eligible applicants can submit their applications online through the DGFT website. The notice also indicated that the timeframe for submitting TRQ applications and the specific procedures for participating in the competitive bidding process will be published annually through a trade notice.
The amendments introduce requirements for BIS hallmarking and GST registration for gold imports under the TRQ framework of the India-UAE CEPA. To promote transparency and effective management of TRQ allocations, the allocation process for gold will now occur through competitive online bidding or tendering, the DGFT concluded.
Published on October 30, 2025.
