India Tightens Import Rules for Precious Alloys

On 17 June 2025, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issued two notifications to regulate the import of precious metal alloys and certain chemical compounds.

The import of palladium, rhodium, and iridium alloys containing more than 1% gold by weight has been officially restricted by DGFT, expanding earlier restrictions imposed on platinum to ensure uniformity in precious metal trade policies.
This move effectively brings the entire Customs Tariff Heading (CTH) 7110 under restriction at the 4-digit level, covering a broader spectrum of precious metals and their alloys under a consistent import framework.
The new policy ensures that alloys containing less than 1% gold remain freely importable, thereby protecting key industrial sectors such as electronics, automotive, and chemical manufacturing that rely on these materials.
The updated import restrictions are aimed at preventing the misuse of high-value metal imports as a channel for gold smuggling or disguised entry of gold into the country.