Foreign trade policy consultation invites stakeholder suggestions via an online form to draft a new multi year policy.
Stakeholders including Export Promotion Councils, trade and industry bodies, commodity boards and regional authorities are invited to provide suggestions for drafting the new Foreign Trade Policy, the current policy having been extended to 31 March 2021. All inputs must be submitted exclusively via the designated Google Form (https://bit.Iy/3khHEI2) and not by email or paper, and must be lodged within fifteen days from the notice to enable centralized collation and processing.

Tariff rate quota for potato imports requires online ANF application; allocations discretionary and port arrival deadline enforced.
Imports of potatoes are permitted under a tariff rate quota at a specified in-quota tariff rate for the announced period; consignments must arrive by the scheme closing date. Applicants must file online using the prescribed ANF form, pay the application fee per the Appendices, submit only one application per IEC, and accept that the DGFT may revise allocations and will not accept hard-copy submissions.

Deletion of Standard Input Output Norms removes duplicate export norm entry, retaining the more precise norm with immediate effect.
Deletion of Standard Input Output Norms A 468 is enacted under Paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20, removing a duplicated export norm entry for 4,4 Diamino Diphenyl Amine 2 Sulphonic Acid because the norms at the retained entry (A 465) are more precise; SION A 468 is deleted with immediate effect to consolidate the applicable SION.

Linking of IECs requires user IDs with OTP and IEC authentication via Aadhaar e-sign or DSC for access to DGFT digital services.
IEC holders must create user-based login IDs with mobile and email OTP verification, then link those IDs to their specific IECs by authenticating via Aadhaar e-sign of the proprietors/directors/partners/Karta listed on the IEC or by using a Class-II/Class-III Digital Signature Certificate (individual, organization-based matching the IEC, or IEC-embedded DSC). After linking, complete IEC auto-validation using 'Modify IEC' and update profile details through 'Manage Profile'; profile updates are automatic and fee-free. Help manuals, FAQs and support channels are provided on the DGFT website.

RoDTEP data submission required so refund rates can be determined for affected export product groups under the scheme.
A trade notice requires exporters, export promotion councils and industry associations to submit formatted export data to the RoDTEP Committee so the Committee can determine refund rates under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products scheme; failure to provide required data may lead to non-notification of rates for affected product groups. The notice specifies the online data format source, email addresses for submission, and a departmental contact for clarifications.

Export licensing for nitrile gloves requires online quota applications within a limited window and specified self-attested documentation.
Export of Nitrile/NBR gloves is permitted under a fixed export quota for a limited period, with authorisations issued only via the authorised online portal during a specified application window. Applications will be examined under the handbook procedure and licences, if issued, have limited validity. Eligibility is restricted to one application per IEC and requires submission of specified self-attested documents, including purchase order/invoice and IEC copy. Incomplete or untimely submissions and applications submitted outside the online channel will not be considered for allocation.

Extension of import licence validity for tur requires consignments to arrive by the revised cut-off date, with no further extensions allowed.
Extension of validity for import licences for tur under the Foreign Trade Policy adjusts the licence expiry and the corresponding ICLC cut-off to a later date; eligible and verified applicants must ensure their import consignments reach Indian ports by that revised cut-off, and no further requests for extension of time will be entertained.

Extension of export obligation submission deadline for advance authorisations provides temporary relief for exporters affected by COVID-19.
Amendment adds para 4.44(g) to extend, as a one time temporary measure, the date for submission of documents for Export Obligation fulfilment to 31.12.2020 for all Advance Authorisations whose EO period is expiring or has expired in the COVID 19 affected window. The extension operates as relief in the monitoring of EO compliance under the Handbook of Procedures 2015-20.

Electronic filing of Preferential Certificate of Origin enabled for additional agreements, requiring DSC and online submissions from mid-October.
Preferential Certificate of Origin for exports under GSP, GSTP, India-Malaysia CECA and India-Singapore CECA will be applied for and issued through the centralized e COO platform from 15 October 2020; GSTP, IMCECA and ISCECA CoO applications must be submitted via e COO and manual applications filed before that date may be processed. GSP applicants may use e CoO from 15 October 2020 while a three month transition permits physical submissions until 14 January 2021. The system issues electronic CoO copies with image signature and stamp; a DSC (Class II/III with IEC embedded) and prior registration are required.

Export controls on diagnostic kits require manufacturer authorization via DGFT ECOM, documentation, and single application per IEC.
A conditional authorization regime allows export of specified diagnostic kits only within a prescribed quota and time window; exporters (manufacturers only) must apply via DGFT's ECOM system, submit proof of manufacture, a single application per IEC, and specified self attested documents including purchase orders, IEC and an undertaking certifying domestic commitments are met. Applications will be examined under the Handbook of Procedures and granted licences will have limited validity; late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Rebate of State Levies: scrip claims allowed only where drawback paid and RoSL unpaid; recovery and record rules apply.
Scrip claims under the RoSL scheme must be filed online in ANF 4SL linking EDI shipping bills and e BRCs; admissibility is limited to shipping bills with Drawback disbursed and RoSL unpaid and transmitted from Customs/ICEGATE to DGFT. Applications may include up to fifty shipping bills and permit split scrips and selection of an EDI port of registration. Scrips are issued paperlessly by Regional Authorities after system approval, are subject to sample RMS scrutiny, require registration at the port shown before use, carry a fixed validity, and are subject to recovery, refund with prescribed interest and penal action for misdeclaration; ANF 4SL declarations and record retention obligations are mandated.

Revision of Standard Input-Output Norms updates component entitlements and prescribes formula-based adjustments for laminate exports.
SIONs H-68, H-301 and H-302 amend component-wise import entitlements for decorative laminates, specifying per-square-metre quantities for kraft/base/barrier/tissue papers, phenol, melamine, paraformaldehyde/methanol and BOPP film against standard thickness/weight. A proportional adjustment formula AxB/C governs permitted import quantities for specified inputs when actual thickness or weight differs; certain items remain fixed irrespective of thickness. Applicable thickness ranges are set for single-side norms, and revisions reflect reduced phenol consumption and inclusion of lower GSMs to facilitate exports.

Domestic procurement compliance: AROs must list and have endorsed supplier location details for steel procured at export parity price.
AROs for domestic procurement of steel at export parity price by MSME exporters of EEPC must include the Service Centre/Distributor/Dealer/Stockyard details of the domestic steel producer, duly countersigned by EEPC, and the Regional Authority shall endorse these details on the ARO at the time of issue to enable administration of the procurement scheme.

Quota allocation for Urad import: equal distribution to previously allotted eligible applicants; imports must arrive by deadline.
The quota of 1.5 lakh MT of Urad shall be distributed equally, or for the quantity applied, only amongst the eligible and verified applicants who were allotted quota for import of Urad in June, 2020. DGFT reserves the right to make any changes in allocation, and applicants found non-existent or to have submitted false information/documents during field inspections will be excluded. Eligible applicants must ensure import consignments reach Indian ports by the prescribed deadline; no extension requests will be entertained.

Irrevocable Commercial Letters of Credit submission requirement for assessing export eligibility of onions; submission does not confer export rights.
Directs exporters to submit copies of Irrevocable Commercial Letters of Credit (ICLCs) opened on or before the day preceding the export prohibition to their jurisdictional Regional Authority by the deadline; only complete and timely submissions will be considered for assessment under Para 1.05(b) of the Foreign Trade Policy. Submission is for assessment purposes only and does not confer any right to registration or to export onions, and Regional Authorities shall not register or act on the submitted copies without further directions from the Competent Authority.

Extension of installation deadline for radiation portal monitors and container scanners at designated seaports granted under amended procedure.
Amendment extends the deadline for the installation and operationalisation of Radiation Portal Monitors and Container Scanners at designated seaports by modifying Para 2.54(d)(v)(ii) of the Handbook of Procedures (2015-2020), issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade under powers conferred by paragraphs 1.03 and 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-2020).

Extension of Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency recognition: validity prolonged pending notification of a new PSIA list.
Extension of validity of Pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies (PSIAs) recognized under the Foreign Trade Policy is authorized by the Director General through relaxation of a Handbook provision; recognitions of PSIAs listed in the A&ANF appendix that were completing their tenure as of the reference date are extended until the earlier of the end of the extended period or notification of a new PSIA list, maintaining their operative recognition status pending issuance of a fresh list.

Steel Import Monitoring System registration required for specified steel imports; prior online registration must be entered in Bills of Entry.
SIMS registration is compulsory for imports of additional steel HS codes under Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of the ITC (HS), 2017; Bills of Entry on or after 16 October 2020 must reflect prior online SIMS registration. Importers must submit advance information in the SIMS online system, obtain an automatic registration number on payment of a registration fee, apply within the prescribed advance window before expected arrival, and enter the registration number and its expiry in the Bill of Entry to enable customs clearance.

Terminal Excise Duty refund and duty drawback claims require revised ANF 7A with specified invoices, DBK worksheets, and declarations.
Revised ANF 7A prescribes the application format and supporting documentation for Terminal Excise Duty refunds, Duty Drawback under AIR, and brand rate fixation under FTP 2015-2020. It requires applicant, bank, excise/customs jurisdiction details, invoice level supply data, DBK worksheets for inputs, declarations on CENVAT non availment, time bar and late cut particulars, and a checklist of attested invoices, B/Es, proof of payment, PAC/project documents and prescribed annexures for verification and processing.

Harmonization of MEIS schedule amends Table 2 of Appendix 3B, adding one HS code and deleting others.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends Table 2 of Appendix 3B to harmonize the MEIS schedule with ITC(HS) 2017 and Finance (No.2) Act changes: adding ITC(HS) code 38249900 (Other) at an MEIS rate of 2, and deleting multiple specific MEIS entries corresponding to HS subheadings that ceased to exist, effective 01.01.2020, to align with Notification No. 38/2015-2020 and the Fifth Schedule revisions.