Online appointment facility enables exporters to request virtual or personal hearings with departmental offices and schedule hearings.
Introduction of an online appointment facility enabling exporters to request virtual meetings or personal hearings; Regional Authorities will schedule appointments and provide virtual hearing links. Access the service on the Department website via Services Request for video conference and consult the Help Manuals and Application Help & FAQs for guidance. Administrative approval and a contact email are provided for further communication.

Interest Equalisation Scheme cap on annual net subvention per IEC imposed, disbursements from start of fiscal counted.
The amendment introduces an annual net subvention cap per IEC under the Interest Equalisation Scheme, requiring that all disbursements made from 01.04.2023 be counted for the current financial year; the measure imposes a per IEC ceiling on scheme support and clarifies fiscal application of disbursements.

Tariff rate quota allocation under India UAE CEPA: online applications invited; allocation, minimum lot and reallocation rules prescribed.
Applications for Tariff Rate Quota under India UAE CEPA for tariff head 7108 must be submitted online through the DGFT Import Management System within the stated window and will be considered together with earlier applications under the notified annual TRQ. Allocations follow guidelines in Public Notice 06/2023, use a standard minimum lot size (subject to downward revision), are made in multiples of that lot up to requested quantities, and are subject to a six monthly utilisation review that treats half of unutilised balances below the utilisation threshold as surrendered and available for reallocation.

Authorized agency details amended: Certificate of Origin issuer's name and contact updated under foreign trade policy.
The Director General of Foreign Trade has amended the FTP appendix entry for the agency formerly listed as "Maharatta Chamber of Commerce & Industries," substituting the legal name "Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture" and updating its head office address, contact numbers, email, website and branch office locations for issuance of Certificate of Origin (Non Preferential).

Notification of trade forms: updated Aayat Niryat appendices published, making revised forms effective for Foreign Trade Policy compliance.
Notification of updated appendices and Aayat Niryat forms under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 has been issued by the Director General using delegated administrative authority; the Public Notice publishes those appendices and forms as operative and directs users to the official website for access and compliance.

Validity of ratified norms extended, allowing reuse for Advance Authorisations and easing compliance and transaction costs.
The amendment provides that norms ratified by Norms Committees in the Office of DGFT on or after 01.04.2023 remain valid for three years from ratification, and that norms ratified on or after 01.04.2015 under the HBP 2015-2020 are extended to remain valid until 31.03.2026. Decisions of Norms Committees published as minutes on the DGFT website permit other applicants to apply for and obtain Advance Authorisations on a repeat basis during the norms' validity. Appendix 4P items remain excluded from this provision.

Interest equalisation UINs must be bank-specific for a financial year; separate UINs required for multiple banks.
The requirement that an Acknowledgement containing a UIN be unique to a specific bank for a financial year is instituted; beneficiaries wishing to access scheme benefits from multiple banks must obtain a separate UIN for each bank. Prior instructions tying a UIN to a one-time disbursement are deferred due to operational challenges.

Tariff Rate Quota allocation for raw cane sugar increased, maintaining export reporting and certification conditions for preferential access.
Additional quantity of raw cane sugar has been allocated for export to the United States under the Tariff Rate Quota for the US fiscal year 2023, increasing the total TRQ availability for that period. Exports under this TRQ remain 'free' subject to the previously notified nature of restrictions and reporting obligations. Certificates of Origin for preferential exports, if required, will be issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai, and other specified certification requirements continue to apply.

Interest equalisation scheme: exporters must provide a new UIN to the bank for each disbursement and rollover.
Exporters seeking benefits under the Interest Equalisation Scheme must submit a Unique Identification Number (UIN) acknowledgement to the concerned bank; a UIN is tied to a particular bank for a one-time disbursement, and exporters must generate and submit a new UIN for each subsequent disbursement or rollover.

Interest cap on payable customs duties clarified for amnesty settlement of export-obligation defaults, excluding additional customs duties.
Amnesty scheme allows one-time regularisation of export-obligation defaults by Advance and EPCG authorization holders on payment of customs duties exempted in proportion to unfulfilled export obligation; interest on those duties is capped at a maximum equal to the duties exempted on which interest applies, and no interest is payable on Additional Customs Duty and Special Additional Customs Duty.

Use of specific HSN codes required for technical textiles; importers and exporters must file correct eight digit classifications.
Importers and exporters must classify Technical Textiles using the specified 8 digit HSN codes in ITC(HS) 2022, Schedule 1 (Import Policy); Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills should be filed with those specific codes listed in Annexure I, avoiding use of alternative or 'Others' categories. Trade may submit suggestions for additional 8 digit codes if the listed 32 codes do not cover particular goods.

Amnesty scheme for export obligation defaults enables one-time settlement and closure of Advance and EPCG authorisations online.
Online procedure for the amnesty scheme requires Advance and EPCG holders to file closure applications on the DGFT portal, declare duty and interest under the Redemption Matrix, and await RA verification of shortfall. Applicants must pay required duty and interest to the jurisdictional Customs Authority and upload proof; thereafter the RA may grant the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC) online. RAs are to process applications within three working days and help resources are available on the DGFT website.

TRQ gold import eligibility requirements modified; manufacturer condition waived, aligning import procedure with finance notification.
Amendments to Annexure IV of Appendix 2A change Condition (g) for Gold TRQ under HS 7108 by listing six eligibility criteria for jewellery manufacturers-manufacturer status, engagement in specified ITC(HS) codes, an average turnover threshold, turnover composition or quantity linked to HS 7113 relative to TRQ bids (capped by annual allocation), GST registration with up to date filings, and CA certified audited financial statements-and the Public Notice waives the manufacturer requirement in Condition (g) to align with the Department of Revenue notification.

Extension of validity of ANFs and Appendices allows continued use pending notification of replacements under the new policy.
Extension of validity is granted for ANFs and Appendices issued under the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20), permitting their continued use until replaced by forms notified under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023. The extension applies only where such older ANFs and Appendices are not inconsistent with FTP 2023 and HBP 2023, creating a temporary transitional regime for existing trade documentation.

Registration Certificate requirement for IPA imports imposes country-wise quantitative restrictions and quarterly allocation controls.
The Public Notice imposes country-wise quantitative restrictions on Isopropyl Alcohol imports for 2023-24 and prescribes online application procedures for Registration Certificates (RCs) valid to year-end, with a filing deadline of 20 April 2023 and disclosure of past imports. RC utilization is subject to quarterly review and adjustment: quarterly imports cannot exceed that quarter plus the next; over-utilisation is deducted from the following quarter while unutilised QR rolls forward; exhausted country-specific QR may be met from residual allocations of other countries. The Directorate may cap any single RC and modify allocation modalities.

EODC online issuance requires portal-based closure and RA updates; manual issuance prohibited, with automatic transmission to customs.
Issuance of EODC for AA and EPCG must be processed via the DGFT portal: AA closures may be submitted with validation (complete transactional documents) or without validation; EPCG closures may be submitted without validation. RAs may update licence status and generate EODC letters online, and holders may apply for EODC status updates on the portal. Online EODCs are transmitted to the Customs ICEGATE system in near real time. Manual issuance or issuance through legacy IT systems is prohibited; RAs must generate MIS reports from portal data.

Track and Trace system implementation extended for pharmaceutical exports; exporters must maintain parent child packaging relationship and upload data.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends Para 2.90A (vi) and (vii) of the Handbook of Procedure to substitute the earlier implementation date with a later date, extending the deadline for implementation of the Track and Trace system for export consignments of drug formulations. The extension requires maintenance of the parent child relationship in packaging levels and uploading of such data on the Central Portal, and applies to both SSI and non SSI manufactured drugs.

Amnesty scheme for export obligation defaults: settle by paying exempted customs duties plus capped interest to obtain EODC.
Amnesty scheme allows holders of Advance Authorisations and EPCG authorisations (subject to specified vintage coverage) to regularise EO defaults by registering on the DGFT website and paying customs duties exempted proportionate to unfulfilled EO plus interest, with interest capped at 100% of the customs duty liable for interest (excluding Additional Customs Duty and Special Additional Customs Duty). Upon submission of payment proof and prescribed documents to the Regional Authority, an Export Obligation Discharge Certificate may be issued; exclusions apply for fraud and related cases, and duties paid under the scheme are not eligible for CENVAT credit or refund.

Notification of Handbook of Procedures establishes the procedural framework under the Foreign Trade Policy and gives it operative effect.
Notification of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023 invokes powers under paragraphs 1.03 and 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy and, by Public Notice No. 1/2023, places the Handbook into operative effect as the binding procedural framework for foreign trade compliance.

Mandatory electronic filing transition for Non Preferential Certificate of Origin extended, online use optional until the extended deadline.
Extension of the mandatory electronic filing transition for Non Preferential Certificates of Origin on the Common Digital Platform to 31 December 2023; use of the e CoO system remains optional until that date and manual/paper processing is permitted. Designated issuing agencies must sensitize and encourage exporters to register for and use the online platform; guidance and Help Manual & FAQs are available on the e CoO landing page.