The Centre will expand the (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) RELIEF, a sub-scheme under the Export Promotion Mission amid continued disruptions from tensions in West Asia and their impact on maritime logistics across the Gulf and adjacent regions.
Component II of the RELIEF initiative offers 95% risk coverage to encourage exporters to obtain ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India) insurance. RELIEF targets rising freight costs, insurance premiums and war-related export risks. The sub-scheme excludes energy shipments.
The benefit is available for Standalone Policies and Whole Turnover Policies obtained on or after March 16, 2026, as per a release from the Centre.
"Under this component, the premium payable by eligible exporters is protected against increases beyond pre-disruption levels during the eligible period. The covered cargo categories include Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL) and refrigerated (reefer) containers, excluding energy shipments." it said.
Exporters seeking coverage under the RELIEF initiative are required to submit claims and supporting documents via the ECGC customer portal at www.ecgcltd.in. Guidance on generating user IDs and passwords, completing exporter registration and submitting claims under the initiative is available through dedicated video tutorials on ECGC's official YouTube channel, @ecgcltd7016.
RELIEF was launched on May 19, 2026.
"The extension of RELIEF underscores the government's commitment to strengthening export resilience, sustaining trade flows and supporting Indian exporters amid continuing geopolitical and maritime logistics uncertainties," the release stated.
This development comes after, global container freight rates shot up 130% since February 2026, due to West Asia tension applyinf pressure on shipping costs back in focus.
The increase took place as India's container-based export-import trade continued to expand, according to a report by broking firm Jefferies.
Freight rates, which had eased through much of 2025 and early 2026, have risen sharply in recent months. According to the report by ANI, global container freight rates increased from around $2,000–2,500 in February 2026 to approximately $4,000–4,500 in October.
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The rise reversed the earlier downward trend, when freight rates declined as the demand-supply balance improved following elevated shipping costs in 2024.
Jefferies attributed the increase to tensions in the Middle East and flagged the possible return of shipping lines to the Suez Canal as an important factor to watch.
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