Jewellers in Ahmedabad raised concerns over the opaque allocation process for gold import quotas under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for FY 2025–26. In a formal representation to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the Jewellers' Association of Ahmedabad (JAA) urged the govt to publish clear eligibility criteria for tariff rate quota (TRQ) allotment and scrap the Rs 25 crore turnover threshold, which they say disadvantages smaller jewellers and distorts market competition.

Under the current TRQ application process, jewellers, bullion traders, and manufacturers were required to submit past turnover figures and pay a non-refundable Rs 1 lakh fee. However, many applicants said they were unaware of any turnover threshold at the time of applying in Feb.

"A turnover-based eligibility rule which was rescinded in 2023 was quietly reinstated, restricting access for smaller jewellers and bullion traders," said JAA president Jigar Soni. "This not only runs contrary to the spirit of CEPA, which is to promote wider market participation, but also creates an uneven playing field in favour of larger corporates."

Several applicants said they had no knowledge of the Rs 25 crore qualifying bar until results were announced. "I submitted a complete TRQ application, paid the Rs 1 lakh fee, but had no idea about any turnover requirement," said Hardik Choksi, a jeweller from Manek Chowk in Ahmedabad. "This essentially means small businesses like ours are not even in the running, and the benefits of the duty concession will be concentrated among big traders. We will end up buying gold at higher prices from them, which affects our margins and market standing."

The issue gained further traction after the DGFT, in a meeting on April 29, disclosed that it received over 3,000 TRQ applications—a 253% rise over the previous year, but only about 1,400 were approved. Officials reportedly prioritised firms with "considerable business size" and "manufacturing capacity", a move that sparked calls for greater transparency.

"The turnover clause was officially scrapped last year," said Bhavin Patalia, a chartered accountant who filed over 100 TRQ applications. "If the govt planned to bring it back, applicants should have been clearly informed."

CEPA and the TRQ system
The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in 2022, allows for duty concessions on select goods to enhance bilateral trade. Under this, India permits the import of up to 200 metric tonnes of gold annually from the UAE at a 1% duty discount — lower than the standard import duty — through a tariff rate auota (TRQ) mechanism. Jewellers, bullion traders, and manufacturers must apply to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for TRQ certificates to access this concession. The quota is distributed based on eligibility criteria, which applicants say lacked transparency this year.

Courtesy: TOI