MEIS benefit extension for onion exports preserves previously notified export incentive applicability under the foreign trade policy.
Extends the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) incentive for exports of Onions Fresh or Chilled under the specified tariff classification, maintaining the previously notified FOB-based incentive rate, and continuing MEIS coverage for shipments effected during the extended period under the authority of the foreign trade policy as reflected in earlier public notices.

Permanent IEC Numbering Revised: alpha numeric IECs now apply to exempt importer/exporter categories, effective implementation follows.
Revised alpha numeric permanent IEC numbers are prescribed for specified exempt importer/exporter categories under paragraph 2.07(b) of the Handbook of Procedure (2015-20), to be used by non commercial PSUs and the listed categories (central and state ministries/agencies, diplomatic personnel and UNO officials, baggage claimants, personal/charitable importers, cross border trade with Nepal/Myanmar/Bhutan, ATA carnet exhibitors, Director National Blood Group, and Reserve Bank authorised non commercial entities); the migration to alpha numeric IECs is effective 1 July 2017.

GST Call Centre operational weekdays to handle GST queries; dedicated phone line and email for responses.
A dedicated GST Call Centre is established to handle GST queries, operational from the stated start date on weekdays during specified business hours. Shri C. M. Ram, Foreign Trade Development Officer, is in charge and a dedicated telephone number is provided. A separate e mail ID is activated for GST queries, and e mail responses will be managed by the GST Facilitation Cell constituted as per the earlier Trade Notice.

GST Help Desk established to answer Foreign Trade Policy queries and provide administrative guidance on GST-related trade issues.
A dedicated GST Help Desk has been constituted within the Foreign Trade administration as the primary contact point for exporters, importers and intermediaries seeking clarification on GST treatment and procedural interactions between GST and the Foreign Trade Policy; it operates on a query-response basis to provide administrative guidance and facilitate timely resolution of GST-related compliance and procedural questions.

GST Facilitation Cell established as first contact for GST queries under the Foreign Trade Policy, with designated office contacts.
Constitution of a GST Facilitation Cell in the Office of the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, Cochin, designated as the first point of contact for GST-related queries under the Foreign Trade Policy, staffed by named Jt.DGFT office officials with provided contact emails and telephone numbers for stakeholder assistance.

GST Facilitation Cell established to serve as first point of contact for Foreign Trade Policy GST issues and rollout support.
Constitution of a GST Facilitation Cell in the office of the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, CLA, New Delhi as the primary contact for addressing GST-related issues under the Foreign Trade Policy; the Cell is headed by Dr. Amiya Chandra, Joint DGFT, with named Deputy DGFT members and provided contact emails to facilitate stakeholder engagement and coordination.

GST Help Desk established to address GST queries under Foreign Trade Policy, offering phone and email support for traders.
A GST Help Desk has been established at DGFT Headquarters to respond to GST queries related to the Foreign Trade Policy, complementing prior Trade Notice No. 08/2018. The Help Desk provides administrative support to Regional Authorities, trade stakeholders, Export Promotion Councils and Commodity Boards, and accepts enquiries via a dedicated telephone line and an e-mail address to clarify GST application to trade procedures and policy benefits.

Use of PAN as IEC simplifies importer exporter identification and requires PAN quoting in trade documents after GST implementation.
PAN will be used as the entity's IEC after GST implementation; GSTIN remains the transaction level identifier where registered. New IEC applicants will have PAN authorized as IEC, residuary categories will use DGFT authorized identifiers, and DGFT will migrate existing IEC records to PAN without action by current IEC holders. Importers and exporters must quote PAN in future trade documentation from the notified date.

GST Facilitation Cell established to serve as first point of contact for GST-related issues under Foreign Trade Policy.
A GST Facilitation Cell is established in the Regional Office to serve as the first point of contact for addressing GST-related issues arising under the Foreign Trade Policy; the Cell's composition is specified with the Head of Office as Chairman, a Member Secretary, and an FTDO (IEC) as Member to receive and coordinate stakeholder queries and facilitate resolution during GST rollout.

GST Facilitation Cell established to address GST issues under the Foreign Trade Policy and serve as first point of contact.
Constitution of a GST Facilitation Cell in DGFT Headquarter and Regional Offices to act as the first point of contact for addressing GST-related issues under the Foreign Trade Policy; Headquarter Cell led by Addl. DGFT Nikunj Kumar Srivastava with Joint DGFT Rakesh Kumar and Dy. DGFT Kaushlendra Pratap Singh as members and contact details provided; Regional Authorities instructed to establish similar Cells for local stakeholder access.

Territorial jurisdiction amendment: DGFT Hyderabad designated regional authority for Telangana, updating Foreign Trade Policy coverage.
Amendment revises the territorial jurisdiction entry for the Regional Office at Hyderabad, specifying the office address and contact details and designating its territorial jurisdiction as the State of Telangana, thereby updating Appendix 1A of the Foreign Trade Policy under powers conferred by paragraph 2.04.

SCOMET export permission for stock & sale requires exporter-stockist EUC, inventory reporting, and prior re export approval.
SCOMET Stock & Sale exports are permitted only from an Indian principal/wholly owned subsidiary to their overseas subsidiary/principal (stockist) on the basis of an End Use cum End User Certificate specifying destination countries and documentary proof of relationship. Exports must be transferred to final end users within authorization validity; authorizations may be revalidated. Annual inventory and transfer statements and a consolidated post expiry statement are required. Applications for re export/re transfer must use ANF 2O(a) with EUCs from each supply chain link, invoices/purchase orders and technical specs; Category 0, 1C, 6 items and all Technology are excluded.

Recovery of DFCE entitlements requires procedural scrutiny and recoveries where misuse of duty credit scrips is established.
The Supreme Court held Notification No.28/2004 to be clarificatory and Public Notice No.40/2004 ultra vires, finding that later notifications did not create vested rights for exporters who had not made actual exports and emphasizing the need to prevent misuse of the DFCE Scheme; recoveries of DFCE scrips must be undertaken in accordance with the Court's decision.

Retrospective application barred: TPS notifications apply prospectively, requiring re-examination of claims and recovery where applicable.
The judgment requires that notifications altering Target Plus Scheme entitlement and exclusions for 2005-06 operate only from their issuance dates, preserving original TPS rates and eligibility for exports prior to those dates. Regional authorities must re-examine pending TPS claims, issue additional scrips or recover wrongful grants after Zonal Committee due diligence focused on high-growth claims and pre-notification product exclusions, deny benefits where misuse is established, secure certificates confirming no government dues before release, and report fortnightly on implementation and recoveries.

TRQ for Raw Sugar limits imports through SEZs and ties allocations to unit refining capacity and actual user compliance.
Clarification: TRQ imports of raw sugar are not permitted through Special Economic Zone units; allocations are unit-specific and based on declared refining capacity plus actual user conditions. Imported raw sugar must be processed in the factory/unit for which quota is allotted. TRQ entitlement does not waive any regulatory or safety clearances; applicants must submit self-declarations of refining capacity and supporting certified documents. Port routing within the same zone is permitted to avoid congestion, and country of origin is not material to TRQ eligibility.

Port registration: Inclusion of Hazira seaport permits exporters to access Handbook of Procedures export promotion benefits.
The Seaport at Hazira (Surat) is added to the list of sea ports as a Port of Registration in the Handbook of Procedures 2015-2020, enabling exporters using Hazira to avail export promotion benefits under Chapter Four of the Foreign Trade Policy; the port names will be alphabetised in the revised handbook.

Change of Regional Office Addresses: Appendix 1A updated to amend DGFT regional office locations and contact details.
Administrative amendment to Appendix - 1A of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 revising the office address for the Regional Office at Puducherry (S. No. 33) and amending head-of-office entries for Regional Offices at Ludhiana (S. No. 8), Ahmedabad (S. No. 17), Bangalore (S. No. 34) and Hyderabad (S. No. 37), including updated street addresses, contact numbers, email addresses and territorial jurisdiction descriptions, to be read in place of the previously recorded particulars.

MEIS claim accuracy: exporters must disclose commission, insurance and freight and refund excess claims to avoid enforcement.
MEIS applications must state Commission, Insurance and Freight in the relevant columns rather than indicating zeros; exporters who earlier claimed MEIS including on CIF values must refund excess claims and provide file number, MEIS licence number and value details to the office to avoid action under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act 1992.

Export controls on dual use and non SCOMET items strengthened: licensing, recordkeeping and end use certificates now mandated.
Amendments treat certain non-SCOMET items with potential WMD/missile/military risk as subject to denial or licence analogous to SCOMET controls; exporters must apply in prescribed form and, where notified or aware of risk, export may be refused or allowed only under SCOMET-style licence. SCOMET authorisation holders must retain all application materials, correspondence, contracts, financial records, government communications and shipping documents for five years. The rules clarify multilateral regimen adherence, assign licensing jurisdiction for specified SCOMET categories, shorten IMWG consultation to thirty days, and prescribe revised End Use cum End User Certificates with non-proliferation declarations and post-shipment verification.

BIS licence requirement for gold dore imports: only applications from refineries with valid BIS licences considered.
From 1 June 2017 applications for licences or authorisations to import gold dore will be considered only where the applicant refinery holds a valid licence issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), making possession of a current BIS licence a precondition to eligibility for grant of import authorisations.