Declaration of intent under MEIS: procedure allows correcting inadvertent 'N' to claim rewards after documentation verification.
Prescribes a remedial procedure for exports under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme where exporters inadvertently marked 'N' in the reward item box on EDI-generated shipping bills between 1 June 2015 and 30 September 2015 but had declared affirmative intent. DGFT will receive transmitted item-level shipping bill data to enable electronic reward applications. Regional Authorities will verify the declaration of intent on physical Export Promotion (EP) copies before issuing rewards, and CBEC is to transmit affected shipping bills to DGFT, all subject to FTP/HBP provisions.

Interest Equalisation Scheme on Rupee Export Credit lets eligible exporters approach banks to claim retrospective benefits under RBI notification.
The Government's Interest Equalisation Scheme for pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit was notified by regulatory circular and is effective from 1 April 2015; eligible exporters who availed such credit on or after that date should contact their banks to expedite decisions and claim benefits under the scheme, with operational details available in the issuing circular and on the central bank's website.

Consumption register requirement amended: importers must maintain specified registers for authorised and actual-user imports under the handbook change.
Importers must maintain a Consumption Register for items imported under an Authorisation and separately for items imported under actual user condition, recording their consumption; the register is to be retained for the period specified and scheme-specific retention periods apply. Appendix-4G is replaced by Appendix-4H.

Enlistment procedure for appendix applications centralized; submissions must now go to the central authority instead of regional offices.
The Public Notice amends Para 2.90(d) of the Handbook of Procedures 2015-2020 to require that agencies seeking enlistment in Appendix 2I submit their applications as per Annexure I to Appendix 2I to the Director General of Foreign Trade instead of to the concerned Regional Authority, thereby centralizing the application filing process.

Additional duty credit scrips available for eligible exporters; submit letter to RA with prior application and shipping bill details.
Eligible exporters who previously claimed Focus Product Scheme benefits but qualify for additional Market Linked Focus Product Scheme duty credit scrips may submit a letter to the concerned Regional Authority with prior application reference, file number, shipping bill details, product description and Public Notice serial number; the RA shall verify the claim and issue a supplementary scrip upon satisfaction.

MEIS reward rate revisions notify additions, amendments and description corrections with immediate effect under the FTP.
Notification updates the MEIS reward schedule in Table 2 of Appendix 3B by adding 110 ITC(HS) lines, amending reward rates for numerous previously notified ITC(HS) lines across country groups A, B and C, and correcting descriptions for specified HS codes. All additions, rate amendments and description corrections are declared to have immediate effect and supersede earlier notified entries, thereby updating the country group based reward entitlements under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme.

Permission for export through inland container depots expanded to additional ICDs; sampling and CLRI testing unchanged.
Permission for export of Finished Leather, Wet Blue and EI Tanned Leather is extended to additional inland container depots, and the existing procedures for drawal of samples and testing and certification by the Central Leather Research Institute continue to apply.

Services Exports from India Scheme extension extends applicable reward period for listed services and preserves other terms.
Amendment to Note 1 of Appendix 3D of Public Notice No. 3/2015-20 extends the period during which the services and notified reward rates under the Services Exports from India Scheme apply, and specifies that the list of services and rates is subject to review from the revised review commencement date; all other contents of the Public Notice remain unchanged.

Allocation of export quotas for sugar ensures duty free shipments under CXL and TRQ with certification and reporting requirements.
Specified quantities of sugar are allocated for export under the CXL Concessions to the EU and under the Tariff Rate Quota to the USA for the stated 2015-2016 period; these exports are duty free subject to notified conditions. Certificates of Origin for EU CXL shipments must be issued by the competent national authority and EUR forms endorsed by Customs at shipment; Certificates of Origin for preferential US shipments, if required, shall be issued by the designated national certifying authority. Reporting obligations under the governing notification remain applicable.

Declaration of intent under MEIS permits submitting physical shipping bills to secure reward claims when 'N' was inadvertently marked.
Declaration of intent under MEIS must be indicated on EDI shipping bills; for exports between 1 April 2015 and 31 May 2015 where 'N' was inadvertently marked, exporters may electronically file MEIS applications and submit physical free shipping bill copies to the RA, which shall examine them and grant rewards in accordance with FTP/HBP; from 1 June 2015 only shipping bills transmitted by Customs to DGFT will be considered for MEIS.

Certificate of Origin authorization: ISSME permitted to issue non-preferential certificates under the Foreign Trade Policy.
Authorization under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 adds the specified agency to Appendix 2E as an authorized issuer of Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential), enabling the agency to sign and issue non-preferential Certificates of Origin in accordance with the policy framework and procedural requirements.

Export promotion responsibility shifted for sesame and niger seed to IOPEPC, updating appendices under the foreign trade policy.
The Directorate amends Appendix - 2T to reassign sesame seed and niger seed from the Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council to the Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council, updating the Appendices and Aayat Niryat forms so the oilseeds council assumes export promotion responsibility for those commodities.

Temporary import/export exhibits: either Customs bond/security or ATA Carnet now suffices for six month temporary admission without authorisation.
Amendment to Para 2.63(a) permits temporary import/export of freely importable/exportable exhibition exhibits and related construction or decorative materials for up to six months on a re-export/re-import basis without Authorisation upon submission of either a bond/security to Customs or an ATA Carnet, replacing the prior requirement to submit both instruments.

Online modification of Importer Exporter Code now required; applicants must use DGFT portal and pay the prescribed fee online.
The Director General of Foreign Trade notifies that amendments to both electronic and physically issued Importer Exporter Codes (IECs) are operationalised for online processing from 21 September 2015; applicants must use the DGFT website "Modify your IEC" option and complete online payment through net banking or credit/debit cards, and henceforth modifications in IEC will be done online only.

Amendment to Appendices updates nominated agency designation and imposes export obligation period for specified imported inputs.
The Public Notice inserts The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd. as a Nominated Agency in Appendix 4B and corrects Appendix 4J to record that Natural Rubber imported under the pre-import condition is subject to an Export Obligation Period of six months from the date of clearance of each import consignment by Customs.

Niryat Bandhu Programme: Online Certificate Program to train first generation exporters and MSMEs in export procedures and facilitation.
Announcement of an Online Certificate Program in Export and Import Business under the Niryat Bandhu Programme to train first generation exporters and MSMEs on export processes, interfacing with customs/excise/banks, and accessing DGFT schemes. Delivered via live online broadcast with help desk support and live Q&A, the course is run in collaboration with a premier institute; participants register online, pay a participant fee while the Government subsidises the balance, and classes begin in early October as a trade facilitation and capacity building measure.

Border Haat trade permits approved local goods exchange in Tripura markets using local currency or barter for personal consumption.
Trade in designated Border Haats in Tripura permits limited cross-border exchange of specified local goods between India and Bangladesh at two named sites. Permitted categories include vegetables and food items, minor forest produce excluding timber, cottage industry products, small agricultural and household implements, and various consumer goods. Item-specific clarification is by the Haat Management Committee. Vendors must be residents within a five kilometre radius. Exchanges are permitted in local currency and/or barter, subject to an individual daily purchase ceiling for bona fide personal or family consumption, and foreign exchange rules are suspended within the Haats.

Notification of new SION entry enables specified import inputs for exported dipped belting fabrics under Foreign Trade Policy.
Notification authorises new SION entry J-377 for Dipped Belting Fabrics (EP) Conveyor Duck/Synthetic Fabrics of Nylon 6/66 & Polyester 840 Denier and above, specifying an export quantity of one metric tonne and prescribing permitted import inputs with allowable quantities: polyester pet chips, spin finish oil, relevant industrial yarn (nylon 6/66), V.P. latex, resorcinol, formaldehyde and a bonding agent.

Exemption from Azo dye testing for textile imports updated to apply to specified countries, with appendices amended.
A new Appendix to the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 establishes an exemption from testing for Azo dyes in imported Textiles and Textile Articles originating from specified countries (European Union, Serbia, Poland, Denmark and China) and is inserted into the FTP Appendices and Ayat Niryat Forms so such imports will not be subject to sample testing for Azo dyes under the existing testing regime.

Election rules: Committee of Administration elections use the final voter list; members must register contact details before deadline.
Elections to the Committee of Administration will use the final voter list for financial year 2015 16; panels and regions are grouped under the Election Rules and Articles of Association with specified seat allocations per panel, and elected office bearers will include six Regional Chairpersons, one Vice Chairperson and one Chairperson. Members were notified via registered e mail and an online link for notices and the final voters list, and ordinary members who have not registered e mail ids and mobile numbers were instructed to submit membership and contact details to the Election Authority by the prescribed deadline.