24x7 customs clearance mandated to address coronavirus related trade disruptions, with recordkeeping and late fee waivers for China delays.
24x7 Customs clearance is directed at all Customs formations, with Chief Commissioners to deploy sufficient officers and maintain station wise records of Bills of Entry/SBs filed beyond normal hours and report daily. CRCL laboratories will operate 24x7. Bills of Entry filed late for import consignments from China will not attract late fee charges where a letter from the importer or customs broker states the delay was due to non receipt of documents from China. The Public Notice is to be treated as a standing order and circulated to exporters/importers.

Average export obligation relief granted for EPCG authorizations in sectors with over 5% export decline.
Where a sector or product group experienced over 5% decline in exports in 2018-19 versus 2017-18, Regional Authorities must proportionately reduce the annual average export obligation for affected EPCG Authorizations for 2018-19, record the reduction in the authorization file and Amendment Sheet, and consider applicable Handbook of Procedures policy guidance before issuing demand notices or EODCs, with such consideration reflected on the EODC check sheet.

One-time relaxation for TMA applications permits late submission of physical documents where acknowledgment misled applicants.
One-time relaxation allows online applicants for the Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme who applied on or before 30.01.2020 to submit physical ANF-7(A)A printouts and self-certified prescribed documents to the concerned Regional Authorities by 15.03.2020; this responds to an acknowledgement-slip software error rectified w.e.f. 30.01.2020 and affected applications received by the extended date will be treated as timely and examined by RAs per prescribed policy.

Pre-shipment inspection exemption: metallic scrap from listed safe regions may enter via designated ports, subject to supplier certification and scans.
Amendment adds Kattupalli to the list of designated ports where pre-shipment inspection certificate (PSIC) is not required for metallic waste and scrap from the USA, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the EU, provided consignments are cleared through those ports with supplier/scrap yard certification of absence of radioactive materials and explosives; such consignments remain subject to radiation and explosive checks via portal monitors and container scanners, and trans-shipments through those regions are not eligible for the exemption.

SCOMET export control: legal undertaking requires return and reporting of temporarily exported controlled items under prescribed conditions.
The notification prescribes a proforma legal Undertaking as a condition for export/re export authorisations of SCOMET items for repair/replacement or temporary demo/display/exhibition/tender purposes, detailing scenario specific conditions requiring declaration of origin and recipient, prohibition on value addition and onward transfer, custody and non commercial use during temporary exports, mandatory return within the stipulated period (with DGFT discretion for extensions), execution formalities on stamp paper, and post import reporting to DGFT using Annexure I with supporting documents for monitoring compliance.

Minimum import price exemption for SEZ and EOU imports of cashew kernels confirmed; MIP not applicable to such units.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade confirms that the Minimum Import Price on cashew kernels, as recently revised, is not applicable to imports by 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), clarifying treatment for importers and DGFT regional authorities.

Pre-export condition removal for specified SIONs permits import without prior EODC requirement under amended input-output norms.
The amendment deletes the pre-export condition in the Standard Input Output Norms for specified SIONs, removing the requirement that first export occur and import be allowed only after grant of an Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC), thereby changing the prior import-authorization conditionality.

Registered Exporter compliance: exporters must submit regular origin statements and respond to verification or face REX annulment.
Exporters under the EU GSP REX self certification system must submit fortnightly statements of Statements on Origin and respond to EU verification requests within prescribed time limits or face annulment of their REX number. A Statement on Origin can be issued retrospectively from the date of the registration application once the REX number is allotted, but cannot be issued before the REX number exists in the EU system.

HS code harmonisation: MEIS Appendix amended to reclassify mobile phone headings, aligning export classification under updated HS entries.
Amendment revises Appendix 3B Table 2 of the MEIS to reallocate specified ITC HS 2017 codes and descriptions to new mobile phone headings, aligning the MEIS tariff entries with updated HS notifications and applying prospectively to exports from the stated effective date.

Certificate of Origin authorization added - Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre and branches now authorized to issue non preferential certificates.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has added Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre and its two branches to S.No. 9 (Karnataka) of Appendix 2E of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015 2020, authorising that agency to issue Certificate of Origin Non Preferential; the amendment is made under paragraph 2.04 and continues earlier administrative recognition referenced in Public Notice No.11/2009 2014 dated 07.05.2013.

Extension of validity for Pre-shipment Inspection Agencies: recognitions expiring by March extended to end of month.
The Director General extends recognition validity for Pre-shipment Inspection Agencies listed in Appendix 2G of the Aayat Niryat Forms whose three-year tenure would expire on or before 30.3.2020, by continuing their recognition up to 31.3.2020, invoking powers under the Foreign Trade Policy and relaxing the relevant Handbook of Procedure provision.

Resubmission permission allows correction of deficient TMA claims via the prescribed online form and submission to the regional authority.
One-time resubmission permission allows modification of deficient or incomplete TMA claims that remain pending for disbursement; applicants must register via the specified online form, edit submissions using the original ECOM reference, resubmit online within the prescribed edit window, and provide a printed modified application with self-certified supporting documents to the concerned regional authority. The facility is limited to pending disbursement applications and does not permit enhancement where payment has already been made.

Misclassification of goods: submit HS code suggestions for items recorded under 'Others' and file them online.
Stakeholders are directed to propose appropriate HS codes for goods currently classified under 'Others' at import and to submit these proposals and supporting data through the designated online form, including any prior submissions, to enable rapid analysis and improvement of import classification accuracy.

Withdrawal of export incentive: MEIS benefits removed for apparel and made ups, RoSCTL procedure and recovery rules introduced.
Withdrawal of MEIS for apparel and made ups (chapters 61-63) for exports from 07.03.2019 is effected and replaced by the RoSCTL scheme. Revised HBP paras 4.95 and 4.96 set out electronic application procedures via ANF 4R, auto calculation and adjustment of entitlements (including reduction of MEIS already granted), issuance of duty credit scrips, port and registration rules, 24 month scrip validity, timelines for filing claims, and a recovery mechanism requiring three year record retention and refund with interest for excess or undue disbursals.

Town of Export Excellence designation for Pollachi recognizes coir and coir products for export facilitation under trade policy.
Pollachi in Tamil Nadu is designated as a Town of Export Excellence for Coir and Coir products by addition of entry No. 38 to Appendix 1B of the Handbook of Procedures 2015-20, effected by the Director General of Foreign Trade under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade Policy.

HS code classification: importers must use specific 8 digit ITC(HS) codes or face licensing regime for 'Others' imports.
Importers must file Bills of Entry with specific 8 digit ITC(HS) codes from Schedule I (Import Policy) instead of using the residual 'Others' category. Continued misclassification will prompt a review and may lead to shifting items entered under 'Others' from free to restricted status, triggering a licensing regime; trade may propose appropriate 8 digit HS codes where existing codes are inadequate.

Suspension of input-output norms for stainless steel washers imposes immediate change; exporters may seek advance authorization.
Amendment suspends SION C-888 for exports of stainless steel washers with immediate effect; exporters seeking to export the affected product must apply for Advance Authorization under Paragraph 4.07 of the Handbook of Procedures 2015-20 as the available mechanism in lieu of the suspended norm.

SIMS registration: no duplicate registration required for SEZ-to-DTA supplies without processing; processing altering HS code requires registration.
If an import is registered under SIMS at the point of entry into SEZ/FTWZ, no additional SIMS registration is required when those goods are supplied to a DTA unit without processing; however, if manufacturing or processing in the SEZ/FTWZ changes the commodity classification at the eight digit HS Code level, the importer in the DTA must obtain SIMS registration for the transformed goods.

One-time condonation under EPCG scheme extended to allow requests for export obligation and installation relief until end of March 2020.
One-time condonation measures under the EPCG Scheme are extended to allow receipt of requests in Regional Authorities until 31.03.2020 for block-wise extension, extension of Export Obligation periods, and condonation of delayed submission of installation certificates; prior delegation to Regional Authorities for one-time relaxation without penalty and all other terms of the earlier Public Notices remain unchanged.

Import conditions for penicillin tightened: twelve month export obligation applies where imports originate from unregistered sources.
Amendment restricts the export obligation period for Advance Authorisations allowing import of penicillin and its salts to 12 months from clearance for consignments imported from unregistered sources, with a required endorsement on the Authorisation; imports from registered sources retain the normal export obligation period under the Foreign Trade Policy. 6 APA is removed from Appendix 4J and the SION general notes for Chemical and Allied Products.