Industrial Policy & Trade Monitor· 2665 actions· ✨ 90 recent

DGFT Notification No. 03/2026-27, issued 2 April 2026 under sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992 and the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, reclassifies several Chapter 71 tariff lines — covering silver-clad base metals (ITC-HS 71090000), articles of precious metals (HS 7114–7115 series), and non-legal-tender coins — from "Free" to "Restricted" import status, requiring DGFT prior authorisation for each import consignment. The notification simultaneously liberalises certain platinum semi-finished forms (HS 7110 series) from Restricted to Free, except platinum alloys containing more than 1% gold content. No transitional relief applies: prior contracts, letters of credit, advance payments, or shipments in transit are not exempted, making the restriction immediately operative. EOU and SEZ units are carved out provided imported goods are not diverted into the Domestic Tariff Area.

DGFT Notification No. 58/2025-26, issued 5 February 2026 under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992, reclassifies imports of articles of platinum under ITC (HS) code 71141920 from "Free" to "Restricted", bringing them under Policy Condition No. 6 of Chapter 71 of the ITC (HS). Importers must obtain the requisite DGFT authorisation before undertaking such imports. Re-import of Indian-made platinum articles previously exported for exhibitions/export-promotion tours, and re-import of goods sent abroad for repair, remain "Free" and are unaffected by the change.

The Saudi Council of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 269 on 11 October 2025, amending the Precious Metals and Gemstones Law to transfer all supervision, regulation, and licensing of precious-metals and gemstones manufacturing activities from the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM). The Ministry of Commerce retains authority over retail trade outlets and consumer-facing commercial activities. A six-month transition window — announced jointly by MoC and MIM on 16 October 2025 — requires all existing manufacturing practitioners to obtain an industrial licence through the "Sanai" platform; mandatory hallmarking, gemstone identification tagging, and consumer-documentation standards also take effect under the revised regulatory framework.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, approved the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan for Promoting Exports of the Republic of Armenia and its accompanying Action Plan on 31 July 2025. The Strategy targets a 1.7-fold increase in total Armenian exports to USD 16.9 billion by 2030 (USD 10.3 billion services + USD 6.6 billion goods), with an implementation envelope of approximately AMD 98 billion (~USD 250 million). It designates critical minerals (copper-molybdenum concentrates, gold, antimony, emerging rare-earth-element zones), IT and tech services, agri-processing, and green-transition equipment as priority export categories, and operationalises Armenia's ongoing reorientation of export geography away from Russia/EAEU toward EU, US, Gulf, and Asian markets.

On 25 February 2025 the Government of the Republic of Botswana and De Beers Group (Anglo American) signed binding agreements in Gaborone formalising the September 2023 Heads of Terms. The package replaces the previous Debswana sales arrangement (which expired 30 June 2023 and had operated under rolling extensions) with a new 10-year sales agreement, optionally extendable by a further 5 years; extends the four Debswana mining licences (Jwaneng, Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa) by 25 years from August 2029 to July 2054; and progressively shifts rough-diamond allocation toward the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC). Under the new sales split, ODC takes 30% of Debswana production with De Beers selling 70% in the first five years (2025-2030), rising to 40%/60% in years 6-10 (2030-2035), and 50%/50% in the optional 5-year extension period — a step-up from the legacy 25%/75% split. De Beers has also committed an upfront BWP 1 billion (~USD 75 million) contribution to a new Diamonds for Development Fund, with further annual contributions tied to Debswana dividends, to support diversification under Botswana's Vision 2036 and National Development Plan. The agreement bundles in-country beneficiation commitments: a new diamond jewellery manufacturing facility in Botswana, a De Beers Institute of Diamonds grading laboratory, and a diamond vocational training institute. The deal was signed by Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo and De Beers CEO Al Cook, with President Duma Boko presiding. It is the first Botswana entry in the IPTM register and the cleanest worked example of the negotiated / equity-sharing model of resource nationalism — distinct from the outright export bans pursued by Indonesia, the DRC and Zimbabwe, but driven by the same producing-country imperative to capture rents and margin from a strategic mineral sector.

The Council of the EU adopted Council Regulation (EU) 2023/2878 of 18 December 2023, the EU's 12th sanctions package against Russia, entering into force 19 December 2023. The package introduces a direct EU import ban on Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewellery effective 1 January 2024, followed by a phased indirect ban on Russian diamonds processed in third countries (from 1 March 2024, complete by 1 September 2024), developed as part of a G7-coordinated diamond restriction. The package also extends import bans on steel and other products generating significant revenue for Russia, and adds further trade and economic restrictions.

On 6 October 2022 the Council of the European Union adopted Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1904, amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, as the EU's eighth package of restrictive measures against Russia. It entered into force 7 October 2022. The regulation's headline measure creates the legal basis for an oil price-cap mechanism: a ban on maritime transport to third countries of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products, becoming operational once the Council sets an actual cap level by a separate decision (the G7/EU $60/bbl cap followed on 3 December 2022). The package also expands import bans on steel products (phased through 2024), firearms and ammunition, wood pulp and paper, and certain chemicals, cosmetics and jewellery materials; extends export bans on aviation-sector goods; bans the provision of architectural, engineering, IT-consultancy and legal advisory services to the Russian government and Russian companies; and imposes restrictions on Russian-flagged vessels at the Russian Maritime Register.

Canada amended the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations via SOR/2022-102, registered 18 May 2022, adding Schedule 6 (luxury goods) and Schedule 7 (goods usable in weapons production/manufacturing) to the list of items prohibited for export to, and in Schedule 6's case also import from, Russia. Both schedules took effect 60 days after registration (17 July 2022). Schedule 6 covers luxury alcohol, tobacco, textiles, footwear, clothing, jewellery, kitchenware, art, and some machinery; Schedule 7 covers raw materials (including tungsten and aluminium), pumps, vehicle parts, construction equipment, watercraft, and medical/dental/surgical equipment. The regulation also added 14 individuals to the Schedule 1 asset-freeze list.

The UK government announced on 15 March 2022 that it would ban the export of high-end luxury goods to Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The measure was implemented via new regulation 46B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, inserted by the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 8) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/452), which was made on 13 April 2022 and came into force at 5pm on 14 April 2022. Regulation 46B prohibits the export, supply, or making available of luxury goods to, or for use in, Russia, covering goods with a sales price over £250 (excluding VAT) and vehicles over £42,000, spanning high-end fashion, works of art, jewellery, and vehicles, subject to licensing exceptions in Part 7.

Indonesia's Ministry of Trade issued Regulation (Permendag) No. 18 of 2021 on 1 April 2021, establishing an omnibus schedule of goods prohibited from export and goods prohibited from import. Global Trade Alert logs the measure as bundling an export ban and an import ban that took effect 19 November 2021, with tracked coverage spanning precious and semi-precious stones/metals, jewellery and related articles, and fertilizers/pesticides. The regulation consolidated and repealed several prior prohibited- goods instruments. It was later superseded by Permendag No. 47 of 2025.