Tariff Rate Quota Scheme amended to zero concessional duty for a listed item and relaxed actual user requirement.
The TRQ Scheme is amended to retitle the items table, change the concessional rate for the listed item at Sr. No. 2 to 0%, extend the application deadline for quota year 2011-12 (except milk) to 15 June 2011 with EFC finalisation within 15 days, add ANF2B option 14C for TRQ applications, and insert guideline 3c limiting completion of rows 12 and 13 to actual users; the Actual User condition is no longer mandatory and maize imports are permitted duty-free.

Certificate of Origin authorisation updated: agency name and contact details amended for non preferential issuance under trade procedures.
Amendment updates Appendix 4C to replace the authorised issuing agency at S.No.30 in Maharashtra with M/s ASMECHEM Chamber of Commerce & Industry of India and records the revised address and contact details for issuance of Certificates of Origin (Non Preferential).

Deemed export policy review invites stakeholder comments and presentations, with submissions requested within a specified short period.
An inter-departmental Committee will review the Deemed Export Policy to harmonise Customs notifications with the policy, improve drafting to remove ambiguities and repetitions, and reassess alignment with Government priorities. Stakeholders are invited to submit written comments by e mail to the specified addresses and may request to make presentations; dates for interactive sessions will be posted on the Department's website.

Postal submission of trade documents: applicants must affix postage and quote IEC to ensure timely delivery.
Office establishes a postal facility for submission and return of applications and licences to identity card holders. Applicants must enclose a self addressed envelope with postage calculated by weight and quote their IEC number; omissions delay delivery. Postal charges follow prevailing weight tariffs and applicants should consult the PRO for clarification, who will direct matters to the concerned FTDO or JDGFT when necessary.

Tariff classification: machinery-class goods (e.g., reach stackers) fall under the machinery chapter and are not subject to vehicle import licensing.
Goods that are machinery (for example reach stackers and forklifts) specifically covered at the relevant tariff code within the machinery chapter are not to be classified under the vehicles chapter; therefore Import Licensing Notes No. 1 and 2 of the vehicles chapter do not apply to those goods. A prior circular on special purpose vehicles is limited to items classifiable under the vehicles chapter only.

Export registration requirement for Assam Comilla cotton: contracts must be registered and shipments completed within the prescribed timeframe.
Export of Assam Comilla Cotton is permitted only on registration of export contracts with DGFT; applicants must file to RA Guwahati the export contract, either an irrevocable LC authenticated by an Indian bank or bank proof of advance payment, a prescribed declaration, and IEC. For countries other than Japan, proof of past exports to the destination is required. Where documents are in order the RA issues a Registration Certificate, shipments must be completed within the prescribed period and proof of export furnished; non-performance triggers debarment and penal action under the Foreign Trade Act.

Declaration of intent requirement for EOU shipping bills clarified - EOUs eligible for Chapter 3 benefits without declaration for specified period.
EOU shipping bills are not treated as free shipping bills and the earlier DGFT clarification is withdrawn; EOUs may claim Chapter 3 benefits without a Declaration of Intent for exports from 1 April 2008 to 31 December 2010, RAs must finalise rejected claims for that period and a one-month grace period is provided for filing claims.

Registration requirement for cotton yarn export contracts: registration with DGFT and payment proof enable permitted exports but non performance invites penal action.
Export of cotton yarn under specified ITC(HS) codes is allowed only after mandatory registration of export contracts with DGFT. Applicants must supply the export contract, an Indian bank authenticated irrevocable Letter of Credit or bank proof of advance remittance, a prescribed declaration, and IEC. On acceptance, a Registration Certificate is issued and the export must be completed within the certificate's validity. Non performance leads to debarment and initiation of penal action under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act.

DEPB benefit withdrawal: cotton exports excluded from export incentive scheme, affecting shipments made on and after the specified date.
Cotton exports shall not be entitled to the DEPB benefit; DGFT amended the DEPB Schedule to disallow DEPB rates for cotton (Product Group "Miscellaneous" entries 22C and 22D) for shipments made on or after 21.4.2010, aligning the incentive framework with the prior withdrawal of DEPB benefit on cotton yarn to avoid contradictory encouragement of the commodity.

Minimum Export Price requirement altered for specified non Basmati rice varieties, and quality testing condition removed from export procedure.
Amendment introduces a revised sub paragraph prescribing a Minimum Export Price for Sona Masuri, Ponni Samba and Matta non Basmati rice and deletes the prior para requiring testing of rice quality; the change equalises MEP treatment across the three varieties while leaving other conditions of the original public notice intact.

Modification of SIONs expands export packing options and adds an alternate input for plastic product manufacturing.
Amendments to SIONs in the Handbook of Procedure permit All Plastic (PVC) Playing Cards to be exported either packed in relevant plastic cases or without plastic cases, with a Note allowing packing material only when cards are packed in plastic cases. Separately, SION No. H-51 adds Methacrylic Acid as an alternate import input to Acrylic Acid for Import Item No. 2(b) at the same specified quantity. Other descriptions and quantity permissions remain unchanged.

SCOMET export licensing: revised ANF 2E required for all SCOMET licence applications filed from 1 April 2011.
The Public Notice mandates a revised Aayat Niryat Form 2E (ANF 2E) as the required application for SCOMET export licences effective 1 April 2011; the new form is simplified, includes a revised Declaration/Undertaking, and is supported by detailed Guidelines requiring applicant, item, shipment, buyer/consignee/end user, bank and producer details, plus prescribed supporting documents such as original End User Certificates and Bills of Entry, and compliance with the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act and related policy provisions.

Online transmission requirement for export authorizations mandates EDI filing and automated Customs communication for specified ports.
Directive requires online transmission of DES (Advance Authorization), EPCG and DEPB at seven newly designated ICES/Customs locations effective 21 March 2011. It mandates EDI-mode filing of DEPB applications for shipping bills from those ports issued on or after the date, and requires Regional Authorities to communicate on-line all authorizations for DES, EPCG and DEPB issued on or after that date to Customs.

Export product description change under Foreign Trade Policy narrows covered steel items and reduces specific input norm quantities.
Modification revises SION C-514 to replace a broad range of non-alloy steel products with Non-Alloy Steel Ingots/Blooms/Billets/Slabs as the export description and adjusts quantitative import input norms: eligible input categories remain but specified input quantities are reduced, with detailed conditional allowances and exclusions tied to manufacturing routes and export product form.

Deemed Export clarifications: interactive meeting for stakeholder queries; advance notice by email or fax advised.
An interactive stakeholder consultation is convened to address clarifications and grievances concerning Deemed Exports under Chapter 8 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14, following discussion by the Policy Interpretation Committee; attendance is limited to deemed export matters, and advance intimation by email or fax will receive priority.

Cotton yarn export allocations announced; 50 million kg allocated to 363 firms, export deadline 31 March.
Allocation of 50 million kilograms of cotton yarn is announced with an annexure listing 363 allottees by name, IEC and allocated kilograms; fractional quantities will be rounded when export licences are issued. All allottees must submit the documents specified under the governing policy's procedural requirements to the concerned Regional Authority by the stated submission cutoff to obtain licences, and all prior policy conditions continue to apply except for specified calendar dates; exported shipments under these licences must be completed before the final export deadline.

Certificate of Origin fee revision: higher issuance fee for FTA and GSP exports effective from April 1, 2011.
Revision of para 2.21.1 replaces the previous clause permitting authorised agencies to charge a DoC-approved fee with a specific enhanced fee for issuance of Certificate of Origin (Preferential) for exports under India's FTAs, PTAs, GSP and GSTP schemes, and states that the enhanced fee applies to applications received with effect from the prescribed implementation date.

SION notified for woollen blended worsted yarn establishing input-output norms under Foreign Trade Policy to regulate export inputs.
Notification of SION J-374 establishes export input-output requirements for Woollen blended Worsted Yarn under the Foreign Trade Policy. For 1 kg of the export product made from Wool Tops and Acrylic Tops, allowed inputs are Wool Tops (below 32 micron) 1.10 kg per kg content in export and Acrylic Tops (up to 3.00 denier) 1.10 kg per kg content in export. This is the first SION for the item and is to be recorded in the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. II).

Bank guarantee periodicity: BG must be filed for a minimum period and kept alive for the full export-obligation term.
The Appendix 25A note is replaced to require the Bond/BG to be filed for a minimum period of three years with an undertaking to keep the BG alive for the entire export-obligation term, thereby harmonising BG validity with customs practice. The BG format is updated to include E-mail ID and phone/fax contact details of the exporter/importer and the bank guarantor.

Minimum Export Price imposed on Sona Masuri and Ponni Samba rice for export, Matta rice exempted.
The DGFT, under Para 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy, inserted sub para 3(v) in Public Notice No. 36 to require a Minimum Export Price for specified non Basmati rice varieties. The Notice prescribes that Sona Masuri and Ponni Samba exports must meet the MEP while Matta rice is not subject to an MEP, with all other conditions of Public Notice No. 36 remaining unchanged.