Council chairman Ramu Deora has also complimented the commerce minister for reducing the value addition norms for rupee exports to Russia from 100 per cent to 33 per cent which will help to increase the country's exports to Russia and other CIS countries which have not been doing well in the last two years.

The exporters have hailed the incorporation of the provision for issue of annual advance licences to status holders and manufacturer-exporters with a turnover of over Rs 1 crore which will reduce the interface between the exporters and the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

The exporters would thus be able to import any input related to hisexport items where input/output norms exists without approaching the DGFT, subject to annual audit of his imports and exports.

The provision for recognising the national services rendered by exporters by issuing green cards to those exporting 50 per cent of their production with a minimum Rs 1 crore per year and exporters having attained export house/trading house/star trading house/super star trading house status for three successive terms with golden status certificate would entitle them to all the benefits accruing from such status, regardless of variation in their performance in subsequent years.

The provision to relax the admissible limit for import and export of samples will help the exporters of pharmaceutical products in a big way.