Tariff rate quota allocation for raw sugar to USA permits export subject to export duty and certification requirements.
A quantity of raw sugar from the non-levy (Free Sale) quota is allocated for export to the USA under the Tariff Rate Quota for the US fiscal year 2017, available up to 30 September 2017; such exports are 'Free' under the governing notification but subject to the 20% export duty effective 16 June 2016, with Certificate of Origin issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai, and applicable reporting requirements to be followed.

EU GSP REX: exporters must register to self certify origin; consignments over 6000 require REX statements.
The Public Notice notifies implementation of the Registered Exporter (REX) system for EU GSP self certification from 1 January 2017. Exporters may register without fee; registered exporters may self issue statements on origin on commercial documents to claim GSP preferences. A twelve month transition allows competent authorities to issue Form A until 31 December 2017; from 1 January 2018 consignments above EUR 6,000 require a REX statement by a registered exporter for preferential treatment. Competent authorities will register exporters, assign REX numbers, maintain records and perform verifications.

Pre-shipment inspection agency recognition: National Marine Consultants added to Appendix 2G, authorised to issue PSICs under policy.
National Marine Consultants Inc., USA is included in Appendix 2G as a Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency under Para 2.55(d) of HBP 2015-20, authorised to issue Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates with immediate effect for listed territories. The recognition is for a fixed term from the date of the public notice. An annexure records the agency's approved spectrometers and survey meters with calibration and purchase documentation required for PSIC issuance.

MEIS benefit extension for onion exports under specified HS code extends incentive eligibility through end of March.
Extension of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) benefit for Onions Fresh or Chilled under ITC (HS) code 07031010 maintains the notified FOB-based incentive rate for an additional three-month period ending 31 March 2017, preserving exporter eligibility to claim the MEIS incentive for shipments of the specified commodity made within that extended period.

Duty Credit Scrips eligibility: LEO date governs export incentive claims, treating LEO as Date of Export for Chapter 3 benefits.
Claims for Chapter 3 Duty Credit Scrips are permitted where the LEO date is on or prior to 31.03.2015 even if the Date of Export is on or after 01.04.2015, with the LEO date to be treated as the Date of Export; this follows para 9.12 HBP 2009-14's protection for consignments handed to Customs, and the online module has been updated. Applications filed within the prescribed period will be exempt from the HBP late fee, while later filings will attract the applicable late fee.

Pre Shipment Inspection recognition: seven agencies added to Appendix 2G authorising issuance of PSICs under HBP provisions.
Seven foreign inspection agencies are included in Appendix 2G as recognized Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies authorised to issue Pre Shipment Inspection Certificates under the Handbook provision governing PSIA recognition. Inclusion takes immediate effect for a fixed statutory term from the notice date and is subject to documentary and procedural conditions. An annexure lists approved spectrometers and survey meters for each agency with calibration, purchase invoice and photographic evidence recorded to confirm technical compliance for PSIC issuance.

Deletion of Kuth Root from MEIS schedule removes its ITC-HS entry and takes immediate effect under Foreign Trade Policy.
The Director General of Foreign Trade has deleted Kuth Root (ITC-HS Code 12119046) from Appendix 3B of the MEIS schedule (Sl. No. 506) under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade Policy; the deletion is effective immediately and the specified entry no longer appears in Appendix 3B for MEIS purposes.

Duty forgone on indigenous procurement added to reporting formats to monitor domestic procurement and duty concessions.
Amendments to Annexure III and Annexure IV of Appendix 6E add reporting fields for indigenous procurement (cumulative domestic procurement of raw materials/consumables and capital goods) and an entry for duty forgone on indigenous procurement, and renumber existing items; the changes require working units to report domestic procurement and corresponding duty concessions in Quarterly and Annual Progress Reports.

Product description amendments align MEIS schedules with ITC(HS), correcting tariff line descriptions, effective retrospectively to original inclusion dates.
Amendments correct product descriptions in MEIS Schedule Table 2 of Appendix 3B by replacing inaccurate descriptions for specified ITC(HS) tariff lines with wording aligned to ITC(HS); the corrected descriptions are operative for the listed tariff lines and are declared applicable from the original dates when those products were included in the MEIS Schedule.

Inclusion of new regional DGFT office in Vijayawada establishes jurisdiction over eight districts and reallocates regional boundaries.
Inclusion of a new Regional Office at Vijayawada, located at Door No.55-17-2, 4th Floor, C-Block, Industrial Estate, Autonagar, Vijayawada, is assigned jurisdiction over Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Anantapur and Kurnool. Consequently, the territorial jurisdiction of the Regional Authority at Vishakhapatnam is reallocated to cover the whole of Andhra Pradesh excluding the districts under the Vijayawada office.

Actual user condition imposed on boric acid imports, rendering them ineligible for Duty Free Import Authorisation.
Import of boric acid is made subject to the Actual User condition through amendments to multiple SION entries and renumbering of existing notes; as a result, boric acid is ineligible for import under the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme.

Standard Input Output Norms changes restrict Advance Authorization use and impose CIF caps and actual user conditions on food SIONs.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued immediate amendments to Food product SIONs: specified SIONs are deleted or suspended with no Advance Authorization under the Advance Authorization route to be issued and applicants directed to apply under the alternate Handbook of Procedures route; individual SIONs are revised by deleting input items, adding or renumbering notes, imposing CIF value caps on specified inputs, applying actual user conditions, replacing DFRC with DFIA in notes, and adjusting input quantity rules for certain products.

Grievance redressal committee for Foreign Trade Policy grievances ensures expedited review, sectoral resolution, and procedural reform.
A Grievance Redressal Committee is constituted at the Zonal RA, Chennai, chaired by the Zonal Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, with membership including zonal Additional/Joint DGs, concerned officers, regional executive directors of trade and export promotion bodies, and special invitees from originating departments. Its terms of reference are to review and expedite disposal of FTP-related procedural grievances pending beyond reasonable time, examine sector-specific grievances from members or other sources, and suggest reforms in policy and procedures.

Import control of un shredded metallic waste and scrap: procedural conditions for sea port clearance under revised trade policy.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends Public Notice No.38/ (2015-2020) by inserting a new paragraph (v) in Para 2.54 of the Handbook of Procedures (2015-2020) to set out conditions governing clearance of imports of un-shredded Metallic Waste and Scrap by sea ports, and replaces the wording HMS I and HMS II with un-shredded Metallic Waste and Scrap.

Inclusion of inland container depots as ports of registration enables exporters at those ICDs to access Chapter 4 benefits.
The Director General of Foreign Trade adds Kalinganagar and Tumb Village (Taluka Umbergaon, District Valsad) to the list of Inland Container Depots in paragraph 4.37(a) of the Handbook of Procedures (2015-2020) as Ports of Registration, enabling exporters using those ICDs to avail export promotion benefits under Chapter 4 of the Foreign Trade Policy; names will be alphabetised in the revised Handbook.

Designated sea ports must install radiation portal monitors and container scanners to permit import clearance of un shredded scrap.
Only DGFT designated entry sea ports may import un shredded metallic scrap; designation requires installation and operation of Radiation Portal Monitors and Container Scanners and AERB certification with Customs clearance. Inland Container Depots may handle clearance only for consignments routed through such designated ports and subjected to risk based scanning under Customs protocol. Imports also require pre inspection certification from the country of origin, with the PSIC requirement to be reviewed after operationalisation and risk assessment.

Nominated Agency Certificate eligibility revised: exclude Gems & Jewellery SEZ/EOU exports from status calculations and renewals.
Eligibility for grant or renewal of the Nominated Agency Certificate is amended so that export performance of Gems & Jewellery items from SEZ/EOU units is excluded when calculating status-holder export turnover; applicants must upload a valid Status Holder Certificate and submit revised ANF-4I with CA/ICWA/CS certification confirming exclusion and verifying exports and realizations before the Regional Authority issues or renews the certificate.

Regional office inclusion changes territorial jurisdiction, reallocating district coverage and adjusting administrative authority under Foreign Trade Policy.
The Director General of Foreign Trade includes a new Regional Office of DGFT at Belagavi in Appendix - 1A of the Foreign Trade Policy and assigns it territorial jurisdiction over Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Bijapur. Consequentially, the territorial jurisdiction of the Regional Authority, Bangalore, is reallocated to cover the rest of Karnataka excluding the districts allocated to the Belagavi Regional Office.

Export obligation period clarified for fabrics under Special Advance Authorization Scheme; obligation counted from issue of authorisation.
The public notice corrects a reference date in an earlier notice and amends Appendix 4J to state that the export obligation period for fabrics (including interlining) under the Special Advance Authorization Scheme is to be measured from the date of issue of the authorisation, not from the date of import clearance, and that further extensions are governed by the extension provisions of the Handbook of Procedures.

CXL quota export allocation: preferential sugar exports permitted with Certificate of Origin, duty conditions and reporting obligations under export policy.
Allocation permits preferential sugar exports to the EU under the CXL concession subject to the Foreign Trade Policy conditions and applicable export duty; release for free circulation requires a Certificate of Origin issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai, with the EUR form endorsed by Customs at the port, and exporters must comply with existing reporting and procedural requirements.