India caps duty-free gold for jewelry exporters at 100kg
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, jewelry exporters in India can now import up to 100kg of gold duty-free under the Advance Authorization (AA) scheme, a big change from before, when there was no limit.
The government introduced this cap after raising gold and silver import duties to 15%, hoping to rein in non-essential imports and protect the country's foreign exchange reserves.
First-time inspections, half-target approvals, biweekly reports
The new rules mean first-time applicants will face mandatory factory inspections.
To keep using the scheme, exporters must meet at least one-half of their export targets before getting more approvals.
Plus, everyone importing gold this way now has to file biweekly reports on their imports and exports: These need sign-off from independent accountants.
Record gold imports $71.98B prompt curbs
Gold imports hit a record $71.98 billion in FY2025-26, with gold and silver together jumping nearly 27% year over year.
The government says these tighter rules are meant to stop misuse of duty-free benefits and keep large-scale importers from gaming the system.