DGFT Seeks Public Comments on Draft “Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026” for Legal Recognition of Electronic Trade Documents [Read Notification]

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued Trade Notice No. 24/2025-26 dated February 09, 2026, inviting public comments on the draft “Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026”. The proposed law aims to provide legal recognition to electronic trade documents and create a clear framework for digital identity and trust services in cross-border trade.

The move follows the announcement in the Union Budget 2025-26 for implementing BharatTradeNet as a Digital Public Infrastructure for trade. DGFT stated that the current legal framework does not fully recognise electronic trade documents or provide a comprehensive basis for cross-border digital trust services. This gap limits interoperability with global digital trade systems.

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According to the Trade Notice, the draft Bill seeks to:

• Grant statutory recognition, validity and enforceability to electronic trade documents.
• Enable trusted digital verification mechanisms.
• Facilitate secure cross-border exchange of trade records.

The draft Bill covers important areas such as legal recognition of electronic trade documents, identity management systems, electronic seals and signatures, electronic time stamps and electronic registered delivery services. It also provides that electronic trade documents should not be denied legal effect only because they are in electronic form, provided they meet prescribed requirements.

The Bill further proposes rules for control, transfer and endorsement of electronic trade documents, similar to paper trade documents. It also includes provisions for cross-border recognition of digital trade documentation and trust services, subject to reliability standards.

DGFT has placed the draft Bill in the Annexure to the Trade Notice and has invited feedback, comments and suggestions from exporters, industry bodies, trade associations, academia and legal experts. Stakeholders have been given 30 days from the date of issuance of the Trade Notice to submit their inputs at the designated email address.

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