Status House Certificate

Status Holders are business leaders who have excelled in international trade and have successfully contributed to country’s foreign trade. Status Holders are expected to not only contribute towards India’s exports but also provide guidance and handholding to new entrepreneurs.

All exporters of goods, services and technology having an import- export code (IEC) number shall be eligible for recognition as a status holder. Status recognition will depend on export performance. An applicant shall be categorized as status holder on achieving export performance during the current and previous three financial years (for Gems& Jewellery Sector the performance during the current and previous two financial years shall be considered for recognition as status holder) as indicated in paragraph 3.21 of Foreign Trade Policy. The export performance will be counted on the basis of FOB of export earning in freely convertible foreign currencies

For deemed export, FOR value of exports in Indian Rupees shall be converted in US$ at the exchange rate notified by CBEC, as applicable on 1st April of each Financial Year.

For granting status, export performance is necessary in at least two out of four years.

Status Category

 

Status Category Export Performance FOB / FOR (as converted) Value (in US $ million)
One Star Export House 3
Two Star Export House 25
Three Star Export House 100
Four Star Export House 500
Five Star Export House 2000

Grant of Double Weightage

  1. The exports by IEC holders under the following categories shall be granted double weightage for calculation of export performance for grant of status.
    1. Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) as defined in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act 2006.
    2. Manufacturing units having ISO/BIS.
    3. Units located in North Eastern States including Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir.
    4. Units located in Agri Export Zones.
  2. Double Weightage shall be available for grant of One Star Export House Status category only. Such benefit of double weightage shall not be admissible for grant of status recognition of other categories namely Two Star Export House, Three Star Export House, Four Star export House and Five Star Export House.
  3. A shipment can get double weightage only once in any one of above categories.

Other conditions for grant of status

  1. Export performance of one IEC holder shall not be permitted to be transferred to another IEC holder. Hence, calculation of exports performance based on disclaimer shall not be allowed.
  2. Exports made on re-export basis shall not be counted for recognition.
  3. Export of items under Authorisation, including SCOMET items, would be included for calculation of export performance.

Privileges of Status Holders

A Status Holder shall be eligible for privileges as under:

  1. Authorisation and Customs Clearances for both imports and exports may be granted on self-declaration basis;
  2. Input-Output norms may be fixed on priority within 60 days by the Norms Committee ;Special scheme in respect of Input Output Norms to be notified by DGFT from time to time, for specified status holder
  3. Exemption from furnishing of Bank Guarantee for Schemes under FTP, unless specified otherwise anywhere in FTP or HBP;
  4. Exemption from compulsory negotiation of documents through banks. Remittance/receipts, however, would be received through banking channels;
  5. Two star and above Export houses shall be permitted to establish Export Warehouses as per Department of Revenue guidelines.
  6. Three Star and above Export House shall be entitled to get benefit of Accredited Clients Programme (ACP) as per the guidelines of CBEC (website: http://cbec.gov.in).
  7. The status holders would be entitled to preferential treatment and priority in handling of their consignments by the concerned agencies.
  8. Manufacturers who are also status holders (Three Star/Four Star/Five Star) will be enabled to self-certify their manufactured goods  (as  per  their  IEM/IL/LOI)  as  originating  from  India   with  a view to qualify for preferential treatment under different preferential trading agreements (PTA), Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements (CECA) and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA). Subsequently, the scheme may be extended to remaining Status Holders.
  9. Manufacturer exporters who are also Status Holders shall be eligible to self-certify their goods as originating from India as per Para 2.108 (d) of Hand Book of Procedures.
  10. Status holders shall be entitled to export freely exportable items (excluding Gems and Jewellery, Articles of Gold and precious metals) on free of cost basis for export promotion subject to an annual limit of Rupees One Crore or 2% of average annual export realization during preceding three licensing years, whichever is lower. For export of pharma products by pharmaceutical companies, the annual limit would be 2% of the average annual export realisation during preceding three licensing years. In case of supplies of pharmaceutical products, vaccines and lifesaving drugs to health programmes of international agencies such as UN, WHO-PAHO and Government health programmes, the annual limit shall be up to 8% of the average annual export realisation during preceding three licensing years. Such free of cost supplies shall not be entitled to Duty Drawback or any other export incentive under any export promotion scheme.

Application for grant of Status Certificate

  1. Status Certificates issued under FTP 2009-14 to an IEC holder shall remain valid till 30th September, 2015 or till the issuance of status certificate to such IEC holder under FTP 2015-20, whichever is earlier.
  2. Applicants shall be required to file an application online for recognition of status under the Policy in ANF 3C. Scanned copy of relevant prescribed documents shall be uploaded by the applicant unless prescribed otherwise.
  3. Online Application for status certificate shall be filed using digital signature with jurisdictional RA/Development Commissioner (DC) by Registered Office in the case of Company and by Head Office in the case of others as indicated in table below:
Sl. No. Category Issuing/renewing Authority for Status Certificate
1. IEC holder having exports of DTA unit as well as exports of SEZ/EOU unit. EHTP/STP/BTP Concerned Regional Authority as per jurisdiction indicated in Appendix 1A
2. IEC holder having SEZ/EOU unit only Concerned Development Commissioner as per jurisdiction indicated in Appendix 1A
3. IEC holder having DTA unit only Concerned Regional Authority as per jurisdiction indicated in Appendix 1A

Validity of status certificate

  1. Status Certificates issued under this FTP shall be valid for a period of 5 years from the date on which application for recognition was filed.
  2. Status Certificates valid beyond 31.3.2020 shall continue to remain in force, in case provisions of subsequent Foreign Trade Policy continue to recognize the status.

Maintenance of Accounts

Status Holders shall maintain true and proper accounts of its exports and imports based on which such recognition has been granted. Records shall be maintained for a period of two years from the date of grant of status certificate. These accounts shall be made available for inspection to RA concerned or any Authority nominated by DGFT.

Refusal/Suspension/Cancellation of Certificate

Status Certificate may be refused/suspended/cancelled by RA concerned, if status holder or authorized representative acting on his behalf:

  1. Fails to discharge export obligation imposed;
  2. Tampers with Authorisations;
  3. Misrepresents or has been a party to any corrupt or fraudulent practice in obtaining any Authorisation;
  4. Commits a breach of FT (D& R) Act, or Rules, Orders made there under and FTP, The Customs Act 1962, The Central Excise Act 1944, FEMA Act 1999 and COFEPOSA Act 1974; or
  5. Fails to furnish information required by this Directorate.

A reasonable opportunity shall be given to Status Holder before taking any action under this paragraph.

Appeal

An applicant, who is not satisfied with decision taken to suspend or cancel Status Certificate, may file an appeal to DGFT within 45 days. Decision of DGFT shall be final and binding thereon.