Exporting Product Samples

Shipping Samples

Sometimes foreign customer relies on the sample examination of the products. Therefore prior to placing a confirmed order, they ask for product samples. But always remember that sending good quality sample products is a standard part of your export business. But it is essential that succeeding goods are also being of same quality.

Factors to be considered while shipping samples

Sample Quality

If you are an exporter, but not a manufacturer so you have to be careful in outsourced of the product that they must be of good quality. Sometimes manufacturer ships inferior goods instead of actual order. So it is essential for you that already give all the detail in writing to the supplier about the actual expectation and requirements from the products.

Shipping of costly sample

If your sample product is costly you should take extra care to avoid risk. For this, you should choose confident channel for shipping. You should consider the government policies related to export before shipping samples.

Channel of shipping

You can ship the samples either by air mail or proper postal channel. Air mail is faster but costlier than postal channel.

How to send export samples from India

Sending export samples is a simple procedure. Export of samples up to specified limits are allowed free. The exporter is required to be registered with the appropriate Export Promotion Council to avail of this benefit. Samples with permanent marking as "sample not for sale" are allowed freely for export without any limit.

For sample products which are listed in the Schedule 2 of ITC (HS) Classifications of Export and Import items, an application for grant of export for such items must be submitted to the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

It is discussed earlier that sample product can be exported either by postal channel or air mail. They further divided into following 3 categories which are as follows:

• For the samples which have value up to Rs. 10,000/-, you have to file a simple declaration that it is not engage in foreign exchange and its value is less than 10,000/-.


• For the samples which have value less than Rs. 25,000/-, you have to acquire a value certificate from your bank and submit a commercial invoice certifying that it is not engage in foreign exchange and its value is up to 25,000/-.


• For the samples which have value more than Rs. 25,000/-, you have to acquire GR/PP waiver from the Reserve Bank of India.

Export Samples against Payment

Export samples against payment are those samples which are exported as normal goods and involve in foreign exchange. If sample product is precious stone or jewellary then it is mandatory to declare to the custom authorities while leaving the country and obtain necessary endorsement on export certificate issued by the Jewelry Appraiser of the Customs.

Export of Garment Samples

For the export of garment samples you have to get registered with the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). In the same way, for the export of woolen samples registration with Woolen Export Promotion Council (WEPC) is essential.

Export of Software

Exporters those deals in electronic and computer software products, must be get registered with the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) for the export of these products.

In the same way, for the export of various product samples the exporter is required to be registered with the appropriate Export Promotion Council.