Single Window Interface for Trade exports: agency NOC processing integrated online to route shipping bills and enable parallel customs clearance.
Extension of SWIFT to exports establishes online referral of electronically filed Shipping Bills to Partner Government Agencies for NOC determination, with automatic routing to agency offices and parallel Customs processing. Agencies will record outcomes online (Release/NOC, Out of Scope, Reject, Withhold, Provisional NOC where applicable). Hard-copy documents must be produced until electronic upload is enabled. Once the agency records NOC online and Customs assessment is complete, exporters may proceed with registration and export formalities without physical NOC; agency rejections must include reasons to allow Customs action, including adjudication.

Abolition of Mate's Receipt: containerized cargo no longer requires issuance; non-containerized export cargo still needs it.
Abolition of Mate's Receipt has been implemented for containerized consignments: issuance should not be insisted upon for containerized import and export cargo; issuance practice continues for non-containerized export cargo such as bulk shipments, and trade participants may report difficulties to the customs department.

EP Copy requirement lifted; temporary EP copy printing for shipping bills filed before the circular will cease after cutoff.
The EP Copy of Shipping Bills is no longer required following issuance of the CBEC circular; however, EP Copy Print Sections at four designated CFSs will permit printing only for Shipping Bills filed before the circular's effective date, and this temporary facility will not be available after the prescribed cutoff.

Correction of SION table references updates engineering product entries and deletes a specified footnote phrase in the Handbook.
Corrections amend table references in multiple SIONs for engineering products and delete the sentence "given at the end of this product group" from specified SION footnotes, replacing incorrect table numbers with the corrected table numbers to align SION cross-references with the Engineering Table structure in the Handbook of Procedure Vol. II.

Direct Port Entry procedures clarified: factory stuffed containers routed via CFS may receive LEO and proceed without Parking Plaza.
Factory stuffed and self sealed containers entitled to Direct Port Entry should be brought to the Parking Plaza Document Processing Area when intended for DPE, but if exporters route such containers through a CFS they may obtain LEO at the CFS and move directly from CFS to the terminal without passing through the Parking Plaza; CFS examinations will follow RMS instructions and CFS gate officers must verify and record container and seal details.

Special Economic Zones: extensions of approvals, SEZ merger approved, co developer and shareholding changes granted with conditions.
The Board issued time limited extensions of formal approvals and Letters of Permission for multiple SEZ developers and units, deferred or required hearings/inspections where operational progress was lacking, approved co developer arrangements subject to prohibition of duty benefits outside SEZs and a maximum 30 year lease, approved several new sector specific SEZs while deferring those lacking state recommendations, authorised a multi SEZ merger conditioned on contiguity, and approved change of shareholding requests subject to continuity, eligibility, tax compliance and disclosure to revenue authorities.

Sealing of LCL consignments: consignments to be covered and sealed as a single unit before movement to SEZ.
Packages of a single LCL consignment shall not be sealed individually; they shall be loaded on the truck, covered with a tarpaulin, and the whole consignment sealed as one unit before movement to the SEZ, with Deputy/Assistant Commissioner, Docks/CFSs ensuring compliance and reporting any implementation difficulties to the undersigned.

Sealing procedure for LCL consignments: consignments must be tarpaulin-covered and sealed as a single unit for SEZ dispatch.
Sealing protocol for LCL consignments to SEZs is changed so that individual packages will not be sealed; packages comprising a consignment shall be loaded onto the truck, covered with tarpaulin and the whole consignment sealed as one unit, with Deputy/Assistant Commissioners, Docks/CFSs responsible for ensuring compliance and reporting implementation difficulties.

Extension of compliance timeline for exclusively listed companies to submit listing or exit action plans on the dissemination board.
Exclusively listed companies on the Dissemination Board must submit an action plan to list on a designated stock exchange or provide an exit to shareholders; SEBI has extended the submission period in response to representations while all other conditions of the earlier circular remain unchanged, issued under powers to protect investors and regulate the securities market.

Board evaluation guidance clarifies statutory evaluation responsibilities and process for boards, committees, directors, including feedback and action plans.
Guidance clarifies the statutory and procedural framework for board evaluation under the Companies Act and SEBI LODR, defining subjects of evaluation (Board, committees, individual directors and Chairperson), prescribing roles of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and independent directors, detailing a three-stage evaluation process with indicative criteria, endorsing internal and external assessment methods, requiring feedback and action plans, and mandating annual disclosure of the manner of formal evaluation in the Board's report and corporate governance section of the annual report.

Entry inwards timing expedited: grant upon vessel reporting at pilot station to enable immediate unloading after berthing.
Advance the grant of Entry Inwards to the point when the vessel reports at the pilot station or the pilot is boarded by automating notification from port authorities and shipping agents to the Customs Boarding Office and Vessel Traffic Services, enabling Customs to grant Entry Inwards on reporting and allowing vessels to commence discharge soon after berthing, while Boarding Officers must still complete document verification and address any mis-declarations thereafter.

Government-supported line of credit sets export-content, disbursement timelines and reporting obligations under foreign exchange regulations.
A Government of India-supported Line of Credit from Exim Bank to Burundi finances farm mechanization and limits eligible contracts to goods, machinery, equipment and services permitted under India's Foreign Trade Policy. At least 75% of contract value must be supplied from India, with up to 25% procured abroad. The LOC sets separate disbursement timeframes for project export and supply contracts and requires shipments to be declared on EDF/SDF forms. Agency commission is not payable from the LOC; exporters may use their own funds or EEFC balances subject to AD Category I bank compliance and realization of contract proceeds.

Sample testing procedure: Customs lab prioritization for import and export samples, test-report monitoring and retention controls.
Framework mandates Assessing Officers to requisition samples via a Test Memo logged in a Sample Test Register; duplicate representative samples are drawn in the presence of the importer's/agent's representative, labelled and sealed, one set retained by the Central Sample Cell and the other forwarded-preferably to the Kandla Customs laboratory-for testing. The Central Sample Cell collects and reconciles test reports, monitors outstanding reports, coordinates with outside and allied laboratories, and implements retention and disposal rules including extended retention where provisional assessment or investigation applies.

Choice of Container Freight Station: shipping lines must not impose extra conditions on importers seeking nominated CFS or direct port delivery.
Shipping lines and steamer agents must allow importers to nominate Container Freight Stations and opt for Direct Port Delivery without imposing extra conditions beyond those specified in the relevant facility and public notices; practices such as demanding original bills of lading at CFS, security deposits, additional fees or extra documents are not permitted and may attract enforcement under the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations.

Eligible Foreign Investor participation in IFSC permitted with reliance on existing due diligence, segregation and compliance obligations.
SEBI allows SEBI registered FPIs to operate in the IFSC without additional documentation and permits trading members to rely on due diligence done at FPI registration; where an EFI is not SEBI registered, trading members may rely on due diligence conducted by an RBI authorised IFSC bank. FPIs operating both in India and IFSC must maintain clear segregation of funds and securities, with custodians monitoring compliance and exchanges maintaining EFI records. EFIs must comply with applicable Indian laws. The definition of "intermediary" in the SEBI (IFSC) Guidelines is amended to delete reference to a foreign portfolio investor.

GST Council meeting addressed sectoral compliance, IGST drafting changes, compensation fund mechanics and cross-empowerment deferral.
Industry submissions highlighted severe real-time place-of-supply and ITC pooling challenges across banking, telecom, IT/ITeS, civil aviation, railways and exporters, urging centralized registration, IGST-based or end-of-month allocation mechanisms, simplified valuation and place-of-supply rules, and sector-specific rate and transitional relief. The Council approved the IGST draft subject to further legal consideration of the definition of "State" (territorial waters), referral of certain supply and ITC provisions to the Law Committee, amendment of IGST rate cap to 40%, apportionment of unallocated IGST to States by SGST share, and deferred cross-empowerment design for a future meeting. The Compensation Law was revised to secure bi-monthly payments for five years, funding mechanisms and distribution of unutilized balances.

Suspension of tax collection during MAP allows abeyance of tax demands upon furnishing an irrevocable bank guarantee pending bilateral resolution.
A bilateral MoU permits suspension of enforcement of outstanding tax demands during MAP on confirmation of pendency and subject to the taxpayer furnishing an irrevocable bank guarantee covering disputed tax and interest. The Assessing Officer shall keep collection in abeyance for an initial two year period, extendable by mutual agreement of the Competent Authorities up to an aggregate cap, and may resume recovery or invoke the bank guarantee only after receiving appropriate notification regarding MAP resolution or expiry of authorised suspension.

Single Window export clearance: automated online referral to agencies for NOC enables electronic processing and removes need for physical NOC.
Exports will be included in SWIFT through a pilot where electronically filed Shipping Bills are auto-referred to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau for NOC when specified tariff heads apply. WCCB officers will record decisions online in ICES-Release (NOC), Out of Scope, Reject, Withhold, or Provisional NOC-while Customs assessment proceeds in parallel. Physical documents must be produced where soft uploads are unavailable, but Customs shall not demand a physical NOC once the agency records its decision online. Rejections must carry system remarks to enable further Customs action.

Empanelment of Chartered Engineers opens for valuation of second hand machinery, requiring certified applications and regular performance reports.
Empanelment process for Chartered Engineers in Mangalore invites applications for valuation of imported second hand machinery and related goods; applicants must submit the prescribed proforma with professional and experience certificates, tax/valuation registrations, and other credentials in a sealed cover to the designated Deputy Commissioner. The Commissionerate will publish a Public Notice naming empanelled engineers and nearby agencies for Chartered Engineer Certificates as per the referenced circular. Selected engineers must submit prescribed half yearly Self Appraisal Reports for performance review to determine continued empanelment.

Adjudication of show cause notices resumes as prior hold instructions are withdrawn; notices to be removed from the call book.
The instruction withdraws earlier Board communications that kept certain Show Cause Notices in the Call Book and, relying on legal advice, directs their immediate removal so that adjudication of those notices may proceed in accordance with law; it affirms that investigating officers may exercise competency to pursue proceedings consistent with applicable legal provisions.