Regulatory compliance burden reduction: deletion of quarterly and monthly export return requirements and ANF-2C format revised.
Paragraph 2.96(b) of Chapter 2 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2015-2020 is deleted, thereby removing the requirement for exporters (and the previously specified requirement for status holders to send quarterly returns to FIEO) to furnish quarterly export returns to the registering authority. Serial No. 9(d) of ANF 2C mandating submission of monthly export returns, including 'NIL' returns by the fifteenth day following the quarter, is also deleted, and a revised ANF 2C format is notified.

Suspension of export incentive scrip issuance temporarily halts applications and processing in the relevant IT module.
Issuance of benefits and scrips under export incentive schemes is temporarily suspended owing to changes in the allocation procedure; no fresh online applications will be accepted in the IT module and all pending applications for issuance of scrips will remain on hold until trade is informed of reopening.

Certificate of Origin authorization: M/s Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry enlisted to issue non-preferential certificates under FTP.
Authorization under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 enlists M/s. Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an authorized issuer of Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential), adding the agency to the FTP appendices as the regional authorized issuer and formalizing its role in export documentation.

Standard Input Output Norms establish benzene as the prescribed input for phenol and acetone export compliance under trade policy.
Fixation of two new Standard Input Output Norms (SIONs) establishes benzene as the prescribed input for exports of phenol and acetone under the Chemical & Allied Product group, specifying the required input-output ratios per unit of exported product. The DGFT notification, issued under Paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy, integrates these SIONs into the export compliance framework as the official metric for input recognition and related administrative application.

Import quota commitment under bilateral MoU enables prioritized pulse imports; annual evaluation allows alternate sourcing for shortfalls.
The Director General of Foreign Trade notifies a bilateral MoU under the Foreign Trade Policy establishing an annual import quota of specified pulses to be sourced from Myanmar through private trade for the multi year period; an annual evaluation each January will compare actual imports to the quota and permit release of any shortfall for import from other countries, with procedural modalities to be notified separately.

Import quota agreement enables annual toor imports from Malawi; annual review allows sourcing shortfalls from other countries.
Notification establishes an annual import quota of 50,000 metric tonnes of Tur (pigeon peas) from Malawi through private trade for each financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26; an annual January evaluation will identify any shortfall, and the Government of India will release shortfall quantities for import from other countries; procedural modalities will be notified separately.

Amendment to List of Nominated Agencies: inclusion of Diamond India Ltd registered and branch offices in Appendix for FTP recognition.
Amendment to the List of Nominated Agencies under the Foreign Trade Policy adds M/s Diamond India Limited to Appendix 4B, specifying its registered office in Mumbai and branch addresses in multiple States with corresponding GSTINs. The Director General of Foreign Trade has ordered the inclusion with immediate effect, updating Appendix 4B to reflect these registered and branch office entries for official recognition under the FTP.

Jurisdictional reallocation: APEDA now authorised to issue RCMCs for cashew products, Cashew EPC powers suspended.
APEDA is designated to issue and renew Registration cum Membership Certificates for Cashew Kernels, Cashewnut Shell Liquid and Kardanol with immediate effect, and the Cashew Export Promotion Council's authority to issue/renew RCMCs for these products is suspended; RCMCs already issued by the Cashew Export Promotion Council remain valid for their residual validity.

Certificate issuance fee fixed for export-clearance certificates under Handbook of Procedure 2015-20; amendment notified by public notice.
Amendment replaces Para 2.108(c)(iv) of the Handbook of Procedure, 2015-20 to prescribe a fee of Rs. 200/- per certificate, thereby standardising the charge previously left subject to agency prescription; the Public Notice formally notifies this fee under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade Policy.

PAN validation service outage suspends IEC applications and Aadhaar e sign linking, requiring stakeholders to plan and contact helpdesk.
PAN validation services used by DGFT will be unavailable from 1 June 2021 to 6 June 2021, causing suspension of applications for new Import Exporter Codes, applications for amendments/modifications of IECs, and one time Aadhaar linking for e sign; stakeholders are advised to plan accordingly and may contact the DGFT helpdesk for queries.

DFIA transfer recording mandates online registration and OTP/e sign verification before transferees may use scrips.
Mandatory online recording of transfers of Duty Free Import Authorization (DFIA) scrips is required so transferees can apply for ARO/Invalidation only after the transfer is recorded. Paper copies for EDI ports are discontinued from the effective date while security copies continue for non-EDI ports; online recording is mandatory for applicable scrips. The transferor records the transferee's IEC and initiates OTP and Aadhaar e sign verification; the transferee must accept via OTP and e sign for the system to reflect the new current owner. Recorded transfers are irreversible and DGFT/Customs are not responsible for party disputes.

EPCG Committee online module enables electronic filing and processing of relaxation applications under FTP provisions.
Applications for relaxation under para 2.58 of FTP must be submitted exclusively through the e-EPCG Committee module on the DGFT portal; applicants must fill the online form, upload documents, pay the fee, obtain a system-generated file number for tracking, and respond to any deficiency letters electronically, with the Directorate issuing all communications and decisions via the module.

RCMC validity extension: expired certificates accepted for incentives and authorizations until 30 September 2021.
Regional Authorities of DGFT will not insist on a valid RCMC where the certificate expired on or before 31 March 2021 for applicants seeking any incentive or authorization; this concession applies until 30 September 2021. Export Promotion Councils will collect applicable RCMC fees for 2021-22 upon restoration of normalcy.

Export authorisation for restricted items must be filed through DGFT new online Restricted Exports module; pending applications migrated.
Authorisations for export of restricted items (Non-SCOMET) must be applied for, amended and re validated exclusively through the new online Restricted Exports module on the DGFT website; export authorisations will be issued centrally from the headquarters via this module, and all pending applications will be migrated and processed in the new system.

Pre-shipment inspection agency inclusion recognises Mats Fareast, adds instrument approvals and requires administrative updates with immediate effect.
M/s Mats Fareast PTE Ltd is included in Appendix 2G as a recognised Pre Shipment Inspection Agency authorised to issue Pre Shipment Inspection Certificates, with PSIA approval valid for three years or until further notice; the annexure lists approved instruments and highlights calibration non compliance. Existing agency Marine Inspection and Logistics International (Rotterdam) B.V. may add specified instruments, Ravie Energie Inc.'s head office address change is notified, and all notified PSIAs must update membership certificates and contact details within 30 days.

Fee per certificate increased under Handbook amendment, requiring agencies to apply the revised prescribed charge.
Amendment revises the fee per certificate in Para 2.108(c)(iv) of the Handbook of Procedure, 2015-20, increasing the prescribed per-certificate fee by notification. The change is effected under powers granted by the Foreign Trade Policy and communicated via Public Notice No. 3/2015-2020, requiring concerned agencies to apply the enhanced prescribed fee for issuance of certificates.

COVID-19 Helpdesk operationalisation enables exporters to register licensing, customs and documentation grievances for coordinated resolution.
Operationalisation of COVID-19 Helpdesk to address international trade disruptions, including import/export licensing, customs clearance delays, documentation and banking issues; DGFT will collate matters involving other government departments and coordinate resolutions. Stakeholders must submit requests via the DGFT Helpdesk Service on the website selecting the Covid-19 category, or use the designated email or toll-free line; status can be tracked through the Helpdesk status tracker with email and SMS updates.

Certificate of Origin Non-Preferential: address of Bharat Chamber of Commerce updated in official list, affecting issuance records.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends Appendix 2E of the Handbook of Procedures to replace the address and contact details for Bharat Chamber of Commerce at Sl. No. 7 under West Bengal, updating the authorised agency entry for issuance of Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential) and making the new address the operative contact for future issuance.

Tariff Rate Quota allocation allows additional sugar exports to UK under notified TRQ conditions and certification requirements.
Allocation of an additional quantity of raw/refined sugar to the United Kingdom for the 2020-21 TRQ cycle permits export under the Tariff Rate Quota mechanism subject to the Foreign Trade Policy and existing TRQ notifications; the allocation is to be operated through the designated implementing agency and exporters must follow the notification-specific reporting framework and prescribed certification protocols.

Late cut relief for MEIS applications: no late cut for eligible 2019-20 export claims filed by the prescribed deadline.
The Handbook of Procedures is amended to permit MEIS applications for shipping bills with Let Export dates in the 2019-20 financial year to be submitted up to a prescribed deadline without any late cut; applications submitted after that deadline will be subject to the standard late cut rules and the normal last-date mechanism for belated claims.