Services jurisdiction expanded: SEPC authorised to cover an added "Others" category and issue RCMC under trade policy.
The Public Notice inserts a list of service sectors into Appendix 2T of the Foreign Trade Policy, designating SEPC as the Export Promotion Council for those sectors, including an added "Others" Category. The notice provides that the added "Others" Category permits SEPC to issue Registration Cum Membership Certificates (RCMC) for services within its jurisdiction, effective immediately under the Policy's enabling provisions.

E commerce module activation for SEIS applications: apply online only after new ANF 3B module becomes available.
The electronic module for SEIS applications will be enabled to implement the newly notified ANF 3B format; backend software is being redesigned and exporters must file SEIS applications online only after the module becomes available from 01.09.2018.

Town of Export Excellence designation: Panipat notified for carpets, textile floor coverings and bed linen under amendment.
Amendment to Appendix 1B designates Panipat as a Town of Export Excellence for carpets, other textile floor coverings and bed linen, adding an entry to Appendix 1B by Public Notice and thereby notifying Panipat's recognition for export promotion of those product categories.

Duty credit scrips: amendment permits debit for import of items previously excluded under Appendix provisions of trade policy.
The Director General, under paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, deleted items at serial numbers 01-07 from the Appendix to the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, with immediate effect. As a result, duty credit scrips issued under Chapter 3 of MEIS may now be debited for import of items that were earlier excluded by those Appendix entries, thereby expanding procedural eligibility for utilisation of export-linked duty credits in import transactions.

Deemed export benefits: refund of terminal excise duty permitted for supplies to JICA funded projects made before the policy change.
DGFT has directed that, in relaxation of para 8.3(c) of FTP 2009-14, refund of Terminal Excise Duty shall be allowed where TED exemption under excise notifications was unavailable for supplies made under ICB to projects funded by JICA and other agencies notified in DGFT Public Notice No.67, provided those supplies qualify under para 8.2(d) of FTP 2009-14 and were made up to the earlier policy cut-off; Regional Authorities must dispose pending claims accordingly.

Input accountability requires shipping bill declaration, accountability statement and engineer certification for EODC issuance.
EODC shall be issued where the exporter has declared input quantities in the shipping bill, submitted the prescribed accountability statement linking exported items to imported inputs with matching quantities and specifications, and produced an independent Chartered Engineer's certificate certifying that the imported inputs were technically required and actually consumed in the manufacture of the exported products; matching of imported and consumed quantities in the specified columns is mandatory, and the procedure applies to pending EODC irrespective of policy period.

MEIS benefit enhancement expands list of dairy and allied exports and raises reward rates for selected HS codes.
New dairy and allied HS codes are added to Appendix 3B, Table 2 of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, eligible for a 10% MEIS rate for exports made from 13.07.2018 to 12.01.2019, and MEIS rates for nine specified HS codes are temporarily enhanced to higher rates for defined periods, some through 12.01.2019 and others through 31.03.2019.

MEIS extension for Bengal-gram: export incentive benefit continued for specified shipments through September 2018 under FTP authority.
Extension of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for Bengal gram (ITC(HS) code 07132020): DGFT, under paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-2020), extends the MEIS benefit for exports effective 21 June 2018 through 20 September 2018, updating Table 2 of Appendix 3B and continuing the incentive beyond the prior expiry of 20 June 2018.

Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential) authorization expanded to include a new export promotion council and updated agency listings.
Authorization is granted for M/s Uttar Pradesh Export Promotion Council to issue Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential), and the Council is enlisted in the Appendix listing of agencies empowered to issue such certificates with contact details. Following state bifurcation, Federation of A.P. Small Industries Association is redesignated as Federation of Telangana Small (MSME) Industries Association and its Appendix listing is moved to the new state's entry, updating the roster of authorized agencies.

Repeat order authorizations for SCOMET items approved by Chairman IMWG with defined eligibility, verification, and recall safeguards.
Amendment allows Chairman IMWG to approve repeat order authorizations for the same SCOMET items to the same country/entities without IMWG consultation; repeat orders to different countries/entities require Chairman approval after verification of buyer/consignee/end user. Eligibility is limited to applications within three years of the original authorization, requires end-user certification of quantity commensurate with operational capacity, an exporter declaration on qualifying conditions, and subjects authorizations to recall/termination on adverse reports; IMWG will confirm approvals ex-post facto and may refuse further repeats on proliferation concerns.

Acceptance of shipping bill copies allows exporters to submit any self certified shipping bill copy for EODC applications, easing compliance.
Exporters applying for Ex post Duty Credit under Advance Authorisation for exports made on or after 23.11.2016 may optionally submit a self certified copy of any shipping bill copy (Exporter/EP/CHA/Exchange Control) with the EODC application in ANF 4F; this interim measure is allowed while DGFT improves online verification for Regional Authorities and aims to reduce transaction costs.

Import policy inclusion of peas allows free clearance of qualifying consignments imported before official clarification, subject to customs verification.
Consignments of peas other than Yellow Peas imported during the period after the amendment but before the clarification, and consignments with a bill of lading dated prior to the clarification, are permitted free clearance; customs authorities must verify the type of peas for consignments covered by this stipulation.

Centralised SCOMET export authorisation enables DGFT headquarters to issue licences while regions retain revalidation and enforcement.
Centralisation of issuance of SCOMET export authorisations places grant of licences with the SCOMET Cell at DGFT headquarters, signed by designated officials and copied to jurisdictional Regional Authorities, while Regional Authorities retain responsibility for revalidation after expiry, penal action, and administration of export benefits; Regional Authorities must also immediately issue authorisations for cases permitted by headquarters prior to this notice.

Proportional registration for part-paid imports: registration allowed reflecting quantity tied to verified advance payment before deadline.
Imports of peas under the specified Exim classification may be registered in proportion to part advance payments remitted before the cutoff; eligible importers should apply to their jurisdictional Regional Authority which will issue Registration Certificates for quantities proportionate to the advance paid after verifying bank payment records (SWIFT) and correlating the payment amount with the contract quantity and value.

Export control lists inclusion clarifies multilateral list applicability; stock-and-sale disallowed for specified SCOMET categories items.
Paragraph 2.74 I(f) is revised to specify the applicability of bilateral and multilateral agreements and control lists-including the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, Australia Group (and its Warning List or Awareness Raising Guidelines) and the Wassenaar Arrangement (and its Sensitive List and Very Sensitive List)-to export authorisations. Paragraph 2.79A(a)(iv) is revised to provide that no application for authorisation for export of SCOMET items for 'stock and sale' will be considered for items falling in specified SCOMET categories, and to clarify the policy treatment of certain chemicals under stock-and-sale rules.

Pre-shipment inspection agency list updated to include M/s Best Mulyankan Consultants Ltd for specified countries and instruments.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade notifies inclusion of M/s Best Mulyankan Consultants Ltd. as a Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency in Appendix 2G, authorises its operations in specified countries with validity to 27 March 2021, and annexes approved spectrometers and survey meters for PSIC issuance. The notice also permits an existing PSIA to add instruments as per the annexure and reserves the Directorate's power to curtail PSIA validity.

No Incentive Certificate under MEIS requires refund, surrender, or undertaking before issuance and NIC blocking of shipping bills.
Addition of para 3.24 prescribes the procedure for issuing a No Incentive Certificate under the MEIS. Applicants must submit ANF 3E to the Regional Authority. If MEIS was utilised, the exporter must refund the proportionate benefit with applicable interest and provide proof; if a scrip was issued but unutilised, the exporter must surrender the scrip and the RA will request NIC to block the shipping bill; if MEIS was not applied or no scrip issued, the RA will issue the certificate on the applicant's undertaking and request NIC blocking.

Supplementary claim inadmissibility for chapter three scrips bars later applications despite prior entitlement cut allowance.
The amendment to Para 9.03 of the Handbook of Procedures disallows supplementary claims for scrips under Chapter 3 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020. Previously, timely supplementary claims could be considered after imposing an entitlement cut at two percent; the revised provision expressly states that no supplementary claims for Chapter 3 scrips will be admissible, thereby removing that administrative avenue for claimants.

Revised ANF-3B form: SEIS applications must use new application format with immediate effect for all filings.
A revised ANF-3B application form is notified for the Services Exports From India Scheme (SEIS) under paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 and para 3.04(b) of the Handbook of Procedures 2015-20. The Public Notice annexes the new ANF-3B and prescribes its immediate use as the application format for grant of duty credit scrips under SEIS for all applications.

Service Exports from India Scheme eligibility: agents entitled only for services for which they receive and retain foreign exchange payments.
Steamer agents and similar service providers qualify for SEIS benefits only for services they exclusively render and for which the foreign exchange earnings (or permitted INR payments) are received and retained in their India accounts; amounts merely routed through them for payment to other providers are not claimable, and the actual service provider must obtain a certificate of receipt of payment from the entity that received the foreign exchange or permitted INR payment.