Tariff rate quota rules updated: electronic TRQ authorisations and specific eligibility and procedural conditions for gold imports under 7108.
Annexure IV to Appendix 2A governing TRQ imports under the India UAE CEPA has been amended: TRQ applications are electronic and authorisations will be issued electronically and transmitted to Customs; imports require a UAE Certificate of Origin and compliance with the Customs CEPA notification; TRQ accounting follows the Indian fiscal year and annual allocation/last date application rules apply. Special additional eligibility, documentation, turnover composition, and procedural conditions apply for gold imports under tariff heading 7108, including exclusion of gold dore, use of nominated agencies, IEC recording, audited turnover evidence, and application of the IGCR procedure with electronic debiting in ICES.

Tariff Rate Quotas allocation under India Australia trade deal: new TRQ procedures require export certificates and electronic DGFT authorisations.
Amendments add annual Tariff Rate Quotas under Ind Aus ECTA into the Handbook of Procedure, prescribing that Australia allocates TRQs via Export TRQ certificates which must be shared with DGFT; Indian importers apply on the DGFT portal referencing the Export TRQ. DGFT issues electronic TRQ authorisations naming importer, IEC, tariff item, quantity and validity and transmits them to the Customs EDI System. Imports are permitted only upon electronic debiting in ICES, counted by calendar year; DGFT will monitor cumulative issuance, stop issuance when quota is reached, and may amend allocation modalities, subject to the Ministry of Finance customs notification.

EPCES jurisdiction updated to cover SEZ products and EOU services; spices require Spices Board registration.
The jurisdiction of the Export Promotion Council for EOU and SEZ (EPCES) is revised to cover all products and services by SEZs and all products and services by EOUs except spices; spice-producing units must register with the Spices Board. The amendment is made under paragraph 2.04 of the FTP 2015-2020 and takes immediate effect.

Electronic Preferential Certificate of Origin: eCoO introduced for India Australia trade with QR verification and DSC-based filing.
The eCoO platform will issue a single electronic Preferential Certificate of Origin for India-Australia trade, bearing the issuing officer's image signature and agency stamp, with authenticity verifiable by QR code or the portal's Verify Certificate function. Electronic submission requires a Digital Signature Certificate, preferably Class III with the exporter's IEC embedded; new exporters must register, receive credentials at the IEC holder's email and mobile, and ensure IEC branch details in the DGFT database are current. Help materials and helpdesk channels are provided on the portal.

Certificate of Origin (Preferential) agencies listed to allocate issuance by product and SEZ jurisdiction under the trade agreement.
Amendment designates agencies authorised to issue Certificate of Origin (Preferential) under the India Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement by listing issuing agencies and assigning product scope: central export inspection authorities for all products; sectoral export authorities for marine products, handicrafts, spices and cashew, coir, textiles, silk, tobacco and agricultural products; and special economic zone jurisdictions for all products manufactured by units and EOUs within their respective territories, with the foreign trade directorate and regional offices authorised generally.

Import of pet animals: DGFT authorisation and quarantine NOC govern permitted permanent and temporary entries.
Import of pet animals (cats and dogs) is a restricted category subject to wildlife/CITES rules; commercial breeding imports are prohibited while pet dogs, R&D institutions with CPCSEA recommendation, and security forces qualify for exemptions. Permanent and temporary imports require DGFT authorisation except where baggage rules permit import of up to two pets on change of residence after two years abroad. Applications follow ANF-2M, must include vaccination/pet passport and supporting documents, and require Advance NOC from the Regional/Quarantine Officer with exporting-country health tests; designated ports and quarantine facilities apply.

Import eligibility change: exclusion of shea nut and shea butter from specified Appendix entry alters pre-import export obligations.
Amendment excludes Shea Nut or Shea Butter from Serial No. 10 of Appendix 4J. Serial No. 10 now applies to import items (except Shea Nut or Shea Butter) as allowed under notified SION or prior fixation of norms by the Norms Committee for export of items under Chapter 7 and Chapter 15 of ITC(HS). Export Obligation Period with pre-import condition is ninety days from date of clearance of each import consignment by Customs Authority.

Certificate of Origin (Non preferential) authorization expanded; additional agency authorized to issue certificates under FTP public notice.
Authorization under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015 2020 adds an agency to the FTP appendices as an authorized issuer of Certificate of Origin (Non Preferential), enlisting the chamber to issue non preferential Certificates of Origin for its territorial jurisdiction and updating the official list of authorized issuers.

Quota allocation eligibility revised: cooperatives and dairy organisations designated while several CPSEs are excluded from allocation framework.
Para 2.61 of the Hand Book of Procedure 2015-20 now confines quota allocation for milk powder and milk fats to national dairy cooperative organisations and national agricultural cooperative marketing federations; maize quota to national agricultural cooperative marketing federations and State cooperative marketing federations; and crude sunflower/safflower and specified refined rape/colza/canola/mustard oils to national dairy cooperative organisations, national agricultural cooperative marketing federations, the central warehousing corporation and State cooperative marketing and civil supplies corporations. Four central public sector enterprises have been denotified and are no longer eligible for allocation.

State Trading Enterprises list revised, altering eligibility for Tariff Rate Quota import allocations under the foreign trade framework.
The Director General of Foreign Trade notifies a revised Appendix listing State Trading Enterprises recognised for Foreign Trade Policy purposes and eligible for allocation of import quota under the Tariff Rate Quota. The Public Notice updates Appendix 2J by adding and removing entities as STEs and identifies those eligible to receive TRQ import allocations, with one entity's eligibility limited to a specified transitional period.

Extension of PSIA recognition validity to a later date under Foreign Trade Policy provisions notification.
The public notice administratively extends the recognition validity of Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies listed in the A&ANF appendix by moving their original three year expiry from an early December date to a later date at the end of December, invoking powers under the Foreign Trade Policy and a relaxation of the Handbook of Procedures; the extension preserves existing recognition status for the intervening period without altering substantive recognition criteria.

One-time relaxation for TMA physical submissions permits delayed filing of hard copies; RAs must examine and dispose promptly.
Exporters who submitted online applications under the foreclosed TMA for Specified Agricultural Products for exports up to 31.03.2021 may submit printed ANF 7(A)A and prescribed documents with designated RAs by 31.12.2022; RAs shall examine complete applications per prescribed policy and dispose of them within 30 days of physical submission.

Advance Authorization conditions for wheat flour exports require pre-import wheat sourcing and prohibit domestic procurement and third party exports.
New Standard Input Output Norm (SION) permits export of whole wheat flour (atta) under Advance Authorization only with a pre-import condition for wheat and prohibits domestic procurement; AAs are limited to flour millers or exporters tied to millers, require Customs confirmation of Bills of Entry, mandate EDI port movement, impose a fixed export obligation period from consignment clearance with no extensions, enforce actual user restrictions and ban transfer or third party exports, and prescribe a penalty multiple of the CIF value for shortfall in export obligation.

Modification in Standard Input Output Norms updates permitted input fabric description for waist coats in textile SION.
Modification in Standard Input Output Norms (SION) J-222 changes the import input for the export item "Waist Coat" from "Nylon Fabric with polyester wadding (quilted)" to "Relevant Woven Fabric," keeping the input quantity at 1.16 sq. mtr; the amendment takes effect immediately under the Handbook of Procedures.

Relief in average export obligation: sectors with export decline may receive proportionate EO reductions for affected year.
Relief under para 5.19 HBP (FTP 2015 20) allows proportional reduction of the Annual Average Export Obligation for EPCG authorisations where a sector/product group's exports declined by more than 5% in 2021 22 versus 2020 21. Regional Authorities must re fix EO for 2021 22, endorse reductions in licence files, issue amendment sheets to holders, and consider prior policy circulars before issuing demand notices or EODCs, recording this in the EODC check sheet.

TRQ allocation for sugar permits specified exports from India to EU and USA under prescribed certification and reporting conditions.
The Director General of Foreign Trade allocates specified TRQ quantities of sugar for export from India to the EU and USA, confirms such exports are 'Free' subject to existing restrictions and reporting requirements, directs that Certificates of Origin for preferential access be issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai on APEDA's recommendation, and designates APEDA as the implementing agency to operate the quota.

Realization of export proceeds in Indian rupees permitted, enabling invoicing and settlement in INR for EPCG scheme.
Para 5.11 of the Handbook of Procedures is amended to permit export proceeds to be realized in freely convertible foreign currency or in Indian Rupees as per para 2.53 of the Foreign Trade Policy, excluding deemed exports. Exports to SEZ units and supplies to developers/co-developers count for Export Obligation regardless of currency, and SEZ supplies must be realized from the SEZ unit's foreign currency account. The amendment aligns Para 5.11 with the RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.10 and takes immediate effect.

Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency recognition expands; notified agencies approved and inspections abroad require prior intimation to competent authority.
The Director General of Foreign Trade includes specified agencies in Appendix 2G as recognized Pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies under Para 2.55(d) HBP 2015-20, notifies additional areas of operation and permits instrument additions for certain existing PSIAs. Approvals carry defined validity (generally up to three years) and are conditional on documented equipment calibration and annexed instrument lists. Notified PSIAs must update membership and contact details within 30 days. Inspections in countries without full-time branches require prior intimation by email to DGFT and furnishing of inspector visit details for PSIC entry.

RoDTEP grievance mechanism via ICEGATE Helpdesk enables exporters to lodge operational complaints and obtain a tracking ticket.
Provision of a dedicated grievance mechanism for exporters under the RoDTEP scheme through the ICEGATE Helpdesk to address operational issues including scroll out of shipping bills, generation of e scrips and transfer of e scrips. Exporters may lodge complaints 24x7 by voice interaction or email, after which a unique ticket/incident number is generated for tracking and follow up. An escalation channel via a higher authority email address is provided for unresolved grievances.

Export certification: APEDA authorised to issue RCMCs for cashew products following reallocation of product jurisdiction.
The DGFT withdraws Public Notice No. 6/2015-2020 and, pursuant to the Gazette Notification adding cashew nuts and its products to APEDA's First Schedule, amends Appendix 2T to transfer cashew product jurisdiction to APEDA. APEDA is designated to issue RCMCs for Cashew Kernels, Cashewnut Shell Liquid and Kardanol with immediate effect under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy.