Authorized signatory identification required: submissions must state signatory name and designation; noncompliant letters will not be taken.
Applications, requests and covering letters must state the name and designation of the authorized signatory; submissions without this information will not be taken cognizance of, and where the authorized signatory is not the Proprietor, Director or Partner, a copy of the Power of Attorney in his favour must be submitted.

Nexus with exported products required for specified agricultural imports under Target Plus Scheme; duty credit scrips will be endorsed accordingly.
Imports of specified agricultural products under the Target Plus Scheme are allowed only when a nexus with exported products is clearly established; all Duty Credit Scrips issued under the Scheme shall be automatically endorsed to state that Sr. No. 6 is permitted to be imported only when such nexus is established, and Regional Authorities and Customs must ensure endorsement and verification respectively.

Permitted imports under duty credit scrips: automatic endorsement with mandatory nexus to exported product group required.
Automatic endorsement is prescribed for permitted imports on duty credit scrips under the DFCE Status Holders Scheme, allowing Capital Goods (with nexus to exported product group), Office Equipment, Inputs (with nexus), and certain Agricultural Products subject to enumerated exclusions. Import of the agricultural category is permitted only when a nexus with the exported product group is clearly established. Regional Authorities must endorse the nexus condition on scrips at issuance or revalidation, and Customs must ensure the nexus is satisfied before permitting imports, as mandated by the Handbook of Procedures provisions cited.

Correction to Standard Input-Output Norms updates SION number to A-3638 under Foreign Trade Policy procedural authority.
Correction to the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. II) pursuant to Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy and Paragraph 1.1 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I) replaces the previously published SION number A-3636 with the corrected SION number A-3638 for the Chemical & Allied Products group as an administrative corrigendum issued in the public interest.

Import entitlement for raw cotton clarifies permitted packing and strapping inputs and requires computation based on actual use.
Adds entries to Standard Input Output Norms (SION) specifying permitted import inputs and quantities against export of raw cotton (Product Code J 373), listing grey cotton fabrics, plastic woven fabrics from polymer granules, mild steel coils and PVC straps. Computation rules require that packing be treated as either grey fabric or plastic woven fabric and strapping as either steel coil or PVC strap, and import entitlement for each input be calculated according to the portion of export product actually packed or strapped with that input.

Import of waste paper: licences may be issued on copy of environmental NOC with pre-shipment certification of no hazardous waste.
Regional Licensing Authorities shall issue import licences on copy of the environmental NOC if the applicant declares in writing that the original NOC has not been received. Pre-shipment inspection certificates must state the imports are solely waste paper and free from hazardous waste, and inspection should be carried out by agencies enlisted under Appendix-5; new agencies may apply for enlistment under Para 2.32.A of the Handbook of Procedures, Vol. I.

Export release order requirement reinstated for sugar exports, mandating prior Chief Director (Sugar) clearance for OGL and similar schemes.
Producers or merchant importers/exporters must obtain a mandatory export release order from the Chief Director (Sugar) or an authorised officer before exporting sugar under the Open General Licence or Advance Authorization Scheme; this applies on a ton-to-ton basis or under any scheme permitting sugar exports, and DGFT field formations are directed to implement the requirement.

Export Obligation Period extension confirmed applicable to Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme following handbook cross-reference.
The DGFT clarifies that the extended Export Obligation Period facility set out in recent public notices and a policy circular for Advance Authorisations is equally applicable to the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme because paragraph 4.64 of the HBP v1 on EOP and its extension under DFIA refers to paragraph 4.22, thereby making the extended EOP facility applicable to DFIA authorisations.

Standard Input Output Norms update: soda ash description expanded and new sawn timber input and compliance requirements introduced.
Amendments to the Handbook of Procedures (Vol.2) revise SION entries: A-3016 expands the import description for soda ash to include dense and light forms; SION A.3636 sets norms for sawn timber made exclusively from imported logs, specifying the required raw timber input for the export of sawn timber and imposing conditions excluding CITES Appendix I & II species, requiring compliance with the referenced Schedule-2 Chapter 44 conditions (except one clause), and mandating a minimum value-addition for such exports.

Recognition of accreditation enables Ecuador to accept accredited Indian certification, inspection and test reports for imports.
Ecuador will recognize accreditation by members of the International Accreditation Forum and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation; accordingly, certifications, inspection reports and test reports from Indian bodies accredited by NABCB and NABL demonstrating compliance with standards applicable in Ecuador shall be accepted by Ecuadorian authorities for the products listed in the annexure, and exporters of those goods are advised to contact NABCB or NABL for details.

Debonding under EPCG Scheme: standalone units exempt from average export maintenance but incur additional export obligation.
For EOU/EPZ units converting to DTA and debonding under the EPCG scheme: standalone units are not required to maintain pre-existing average export levels but must meet an additional export obligation measured on the depreciated value of capital goods as per the EPCG multiple. When one unit of a multi-unit firm debonds, the average export obligation for the remaining units remains unchanged; the debonding unit's exports are excluded when fixing the firm's average, and the debonding unit incurs an additional export obligation on the depreciated value. A bond or LUT/BG must accompany the debonding application as per Handbook (Vol. I).

Import restriction on Hot Rolled Coils clarified; interim imports of non coil hot rolled products permitted clearance without licence.
The DGFT restricted imports under the four digit ITC(HS) heading for Hot Rolled Coils and later clarified that, to remedy interim uncertainty, import clearances effected without a licence for Hot Rolled Products not in Coils classified under that heading during the interim period may be allowed to stand.

ATA carnet: permitted for temporary imports for fairs and exhibitions; specified IEC may be used for such imports.
The Handbook amendment authorises importers importing goods for display or use in fairs, exhibitions or similar events under an ATA carnet to use their Importer Exporter Code; the same IEC may also be used by importers importing for exhibitions/fairs as per the relevant Handbook provision governing exhibition imports.

Delisting of inspection agencies alters recognized certification providers, changing compliance options for exporters under the Foreign Trade Policy.
The Director General of Foreign Trade, invoking Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-2009, amends the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I) by removing specified entities from Appendix-5 (List of Inspection and Certification Agencies), thereby withdrawing their recognition as listed inspection and certification providers for purposes of export-import procedural compliance under the Handbook.

Pre-shipment inspection requirement restricts import unloading of uncertified waste paper consignments, triggering increased customs checks.
Applications for NOC to the Ministry of Environment and Forests must be accompanied by a certificate from an independent pre-shipment inspection agency for consignments shipped after 25.4.2009. Until consignments arrive with that certificate Customs shall carry out a higher percentage physical examination of imported cargo, and consignments shipped on or after 25.4.2009 lacking the pre-shipment inspection certificate shall not be allowed to be unloaded at Indian ports.

Export release order requirement reintroduced for sugar exports under open general licence, restoring pre-export clearance obligation.
Reintroduction of a pre-export clearance mechanism: export release orders are reinstated effective 1 January 2009 as a mandatory requirement for sugar exports under the Open General Licence (OGL), while the prior dispensation for exports under the Advance Authorization Scheme continues; regional authorities and field formations are directed to implement and ensure compliance with this decision.

Attestation of applicant photographs: banks must identify the name and designation of the person whose photograph they certify for processing.
Photographs of the Partner/Proprietor/Director on IEC application forms must be accompanied by a Bank Certificate that explicitly names and states the designation of the person whose photograph is attested; this requirement applies to all fresh IEC applications and status-modification requests for existing IECs to avoid processing delays.

Special certification requirements clarified for EUR and GSP document entries, aligning export documentation with specified trade classification rules.
Amendment substitutes the provision governing special certification requirements for entries in EUR and GSP documents to reflect application of the referenced EU regulation and the ACP/India sugar designation, as an amendment to Schedule 2 of the ITC (HS) classification; all other provisions of the earlier public notice remain unchanged.

Export obligation period rule shortened to a fixed term for certain imports completed before year-end, changing compliance timeframe.
The Handbook of Procedures, Vol. I is amended to provide that for imports completed up to the stated cutoff date the Export Obligation Period shall be 150 days from the date of clearance, by inserting this 150 day period into the relevant appendix entry and the specified sub paragraph, thereby fixing the compliance timeframe for those imports.

Import quantity limits for textiles clarified: RA to cap fabric imports per SION or actual utilization; higher wastage needs proof.
Amendments replace General Notes 18 and 19 for Textiles (Product Code: J), clarifying that SION-permitted fabric import quantities in square meters include average manufacturing wastage. The Responsible Authority must limit import quantities to the lower of the SION amount or a formula-derived ceiling based on actual utilization (using Square Meter = Net Weight x 1000 / GSM), with exporters able to submit proof where wastage exceeds the specified threshold. The rule also applies to DFIA benefits.