Relief in Average Export Obligation for sectors with over 5% export decline, requiring EPCG EO re fixation and endorsement.
Relief under Para 5.19 HBP FTP 2015 20 permits re fixation of the Annual Average Export Obligation where a sector or product group shows a >5% export decline (2016 17 v. 2015 16); Regional Authorities must re fix EO for affected EPCG Authorisations, endorse reductions in licence files and amendment sheets, and consider Para 5.19 and earlier policy circulars before issuing demand notices, with the requirement included in the EODC check sheet.

Certificate of Origin requirement: imports under the bilateral MOU need DGFT NoC before Customs clearance.
Imports under the India-Mozambique MOU are permitted separately from the general annual quota subject to issuance of a Certificate of Origin certified by authorised Mozambican signatories and transmission of a scanned copy to DGFT. The importer must submit the scanned certificate to DGFT to obtain a NoC; DGFT will verify documents and issue NoC, and Customs will clear consignments only upon presentation of that NoC. Transit shipments also require DGFT NoC, and imports are allowed only through specified ports.

Pre-shipment inspection agencies added to official list; approved instruments annexed and three-year validity subject to curtailment.
DGFT has included six additional Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies in Appendix 2G of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015 20, listed their offices and territorial scope, and fixed a three year validity from the notice date subject to possible curtailment. The Public Notice annexes approved spectrometers and survey meters for PSIC issuance and permits three existing PSIAs to add specified instruments as set out in the Annexure.

TRQ import timeframe: raw sugar imports must be completed within the licence defined import completion period.
Imports of raw sugar under the TRQ at 25% customs duty must be completed within the prescribed completion period specified by Customs Notification No. 74/2017, calculated either from the date of the original licence where no amendment occurs or from the date of the amended licence following allocation of additional quantity pursuant to the meeting minutes of 26.9.2017 and 3.10.2017.

Actual user condition permits import of maize by qualifying importers paying normal customs duty instead of TRQ duty.
The High Court initially kept Notification No. 93 (RE-2013) removing EXIM Code 1005 from the STE list in abeyance until 17 December 2014. Subsequently the court allowed import of maize by persons satisfying the actual user condition on payment of the prevailing normal customs duty and not the TRQ duty; further issues on duty and import nature remain subject to the writ petition, and imports are governed accordingly until further orders.

One-time EPCG condonation: RAs may accept late EO and installation submissions on additional fees subject to conditions.
One-time relaxations allow Regional Authorities to condone late requests for block-wise EO extensions and EOP extensions, and to accept delayed installation certificates for EPCG authorizations on payment of an additional composition fee or penalty of Rs.5000 per authorization, subject to documentation (including installation certificate), exclusions for cases under investigation or already rejected, eligibility limited to authorizations issued from a specified cutoff, and receipt of requests by the RA on or before 31 March 2018, with all other FTP and HBP conditions remaining applicable.

Export Obligation extension permitted for legacy advance authorisations subject to composition fees and procedural filing by exporters.
Onetime relief permits clubbing of legacy Advance Licences/Authorisations by filing ANF-4C with the Regional Authority for processing under Handbook of Procedures; clubbing is prohibited where misrepresentation, fraud, EODC/redemption letters, or adjudication orders exist. A onetime extension of Export Obligation periods for specified legacy authorisations is allowed: exports within the initial EO may be regularised without composition fee except in limited categories, while exports beyond the initial term may be regularised on payment of prescribed composition fees calculated on FOB value. All applications must be filed with the RA by the stated deadline and shipping bills must reference the relevant authorisation.

Engineer competence requirement: Chartered Engineers must certify nexus and anticipated wastage within their domain of competence for EPCG.
EPCG authorisations shall be issued on the basis of a nexus certificate from an Independent Chartered Engineer submitted in Appendix 5A; the Engineer must certify any reasonable wastage anticipated at installation for inclusion in the authorisation's condition sheet and must act only within the domain of his/her competence. Appendix 5A is amended to add an affirmation that the Engineer has necessary competence in the relevant field.

Certificate of Origin authorization: MIDC Industries Association enlisted to issue non-preferential certificates under the foreign trade policy.
M/s. MIDC Industries Association is authorised under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 to issue Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential) and is added to Appendix 2E (Serial No. 29, Maharashtra) of the Appendices & Aayat Niryat Forms, updating the official list of agencies entitled to issue such certificates.

Revalidation of Authorisations allowed without fee for specified Customs transmission or processing delays, subject to documentation and timelines.
Revalidation of Authorisation/Duty Credit Scrip for non SCOMET items is allowed without fee for the period of delay or six months, whichever is less, where delays resulted from failure to transmit to the Customs server within fifteen working days, Customs server rejection with error code, or non decision on waiver of Bond/EODC despite timely complete application. Revalidation is from the date of endorsement; applicants must submit DGFT and Customs server screenshots to the RA within one month of final acceptance, and RAs must verify before revalidation.

Discontinuation of dedicated GST helpline; alternative DGFT GST app provided for trade and industry queries.
A dedicated telephone line for GST queries is discontinued due to no incoming queries and to avoid unnecessary expenditure; the specific phone number will no longer be in service. Stakeholders are directed to use an online application available on the Director General of Foreign Trade website as the alternative channel for GST-related assistance, with a reference to the relevant Trade Notice for further details.

Import contract registration allowed for pre-notification advance payments, subject to regional approval and documentary bank verification.
The notice permits registration of pre-notification import contracts for moong/urad dal where advance payment was made before the notification date, subject to production of contract/purchase invoice and bank-certified payment details indicating import intent. Applications must be filed with jurisdictional Regional Authorities headed by Additional DGFTs by the specified deadline, pay the prescribed application fee, and obtain Head of Office approval after documentary and bank verification; only designated Zonal and specified Regional Offices will process such registrations under the relaxed Para 1.05 requirement.

One-time condonation for late EPCG installation certificates permitted with penalty and specified eligibility and documentary conditions.
One-time relaxation allows RAs to accept installation certificates under the EPCG scheme submitted beyond prescribed time on payment of a penalty of Rs. 5,000 per authorization, subject to conditions: capital goods were installed within eighteen months of import; bonafide reasons for delay are submitted; the certificate is filed by the substituted cut-off date; and the authorization is not under investigation or adjudication by any agency.

Onetime condonation of delay permits belated EPCG export obligation extension requests subject to procedural compliance and fee.
Onetime condonation is allowed for delayed requests to extend the EPCG Export Obligation period when requests otherwise comply with procedural requirements; RAs may grant extensions in continuation of the original or extended expiry period under the Handbook of Procedures applicable on the date of authorization, subject to payment of an additional composition fee and fulfillment of all FTP and HBP conditions.

One-time condonation for delayed EPCG export-obligation extensions allowed subject to additional fee and documentary conditions.
Regional Authorities may, on a one-time basis, condone delayed applications for block-wise Export Obligation extension under the EPCG scheme for authorizations issued from 1 September 2004, subject to payment of the regular composition fee plus an additional administrative surcharge and submission of installation certificate; the facility is available for otherwise in-order cases and excludes matters under investigation/adjudication or previously rejected by the EPCG committee, with alternative regularization by payment of proportionate duties and interest remaining available.

Extension of export obligation: one time relief permits regularisation of delayed exports subject to composition fee and conditions.
One time public notice allows time bound clubbing of Advance Authorisations issued under the 2002-2007 and 2004-2009 policies on filing ANF 4C, subject to RA processing and exclusions for misrepresentation, prior EODC/redemption or adjudication. It also permits one time extension of Export Obligation periods for authorisations under the 2002-2007 and 2004-2009 policies and certain pre cutoff 2009-2014 authorisations, regularising delayed exports without fee if within the original term and otherwise on payment of tiered composition fees, with strict filing, shipping bill and exclusionary conditions and prescribed deadlines.

Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary compliance: exporters must obtain designated certificates or face suspension and penal action.
Exporters must ascertain importing country SPS requirements, obtain certificates from designated agencies and provide them with export documents; failure that brings complaints from importing countries can lead DGFT to call for records, issue notice, and suspend or cancel the Importer Exporter Code and invoke penalties or other legal measures.

Duty credit scrip validity extended, increasing the usable period for eligible scrips while maintaining revalidation limits.
The Public Notice amends the Handbook of Procedures to extend the validity period of Duty Credit Scrips issued under Chapter 3 from the date of issue, requires scrips to be valid on the date of actual debit of duty, and maintains the prohibition on revalidation except as permitted under the specified HBP provision.

Clubbing of Advance Authorisations tightened with EO reckoning rules and drug import default regularisation; duty and interest remain payable.
Amendments set conditions for clubbing of Advance Authorisations: requests to the issuing RA, limited to redemption/regularisation, only where similar duty exemption was availed, and generally requiring exports under all authorisations to fall within the initial/extended EO of the earliest authorisation with limited exceptions; common inputs only are clubbed and value addition must be maintained. EO extension rules prescribe composition fee rates tied to export performance. Bonafide defaults for drug imports from unregistered sources may be regularised by consumption evidence, destruction certificate, or re export, but duty and interest remain payable on unutilised imports.

Removal of regional authority power to issue or renew nominated agency certificates under amended trade procedures.
The amendment deletes Para 4.94(a) of the Hand Book of Procedures 2015-2020, removing Regional Authorities' power to issue or renew Nominated Agency Certificates and reallocating issuance and renewal authority under the Foreign Trade Policy framework.