Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products

The "Transport and Marketing Assistance" (TMA) for specified agriculture products scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce which is likely to mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment and to promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.

It is a scheme of the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Coverage

All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.

The assistance, at notified rates, will be available for export of eligible agriculture products to the permissible countries, as specified from time to time.

Applicability

The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time.  Presently the Scheme would be available for exports effected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022.

 Pattern of Assistance

• Assistance under TMA would be provided in cash through direct bank transfer as part reimbursement of freight paid. FOB supplies where no freight is paid by Indian exporters are not covered under this scheme.
• The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products.
• The assistance shall be admissible only if payments for the exports are received in Free Foreign Exchange through normal banking channels.
• The scheme shall be admissible for the exports made through EDI ports only.
• The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea (both normal and reefer cargo).
• For export of products by sea, TMA will be based on the freight paid for a full Twenty-feet Equivalent Unit (TEU) containers. The assistance will not be available for (i) Less than Container Load (LCL) and (ii) a container having both eligible and ineligible category of cargo. Further, no TMA is available where the cargo is shipped in bulk/break bulk mode. A forty feet container will be treated as two TEUs.
• Assistance for products exported by air would be based on per ton freight charges on net weight of the export cargo, calculated on the full ton basis, ignoring any fraction thereof.
• The assistance will be provided at the rates as notified.

For the complete scheme guidelines, click here