Simultaneous benefit choice: exporters may surrender either SHIS or zero duty EPCG, subject to refund, interest and conditions.
Notification allows exporters who were incorrectly granted simultaneous Status Holder Incentive Scheme (SHIS) and zero duty EPCG benefits to choose one scheme and surrender the other, prescribing that unutilized scrips may be surrendered, utilized or transferred amounts are treated as utilized for refund and interest purposes, refund of utilized amounts is to be paid in cash with interest under the Customs Act, EPCG may be converted to concessional-duty authorizations by payment of differential duties plus interest in lieu of surrender in certain cases, payment may be made by cash or debiting valid duty credit or original SHIS scrips for the refundable amount (interest to be paid in cash), and erroneous issuance will not attract penal action.

Replenishment of Gold granted as one time relief for exporters of gold jewellery to claim from nominated agencies, subject to conditions.
A one time exemption permits exporters of gems and jewellery manufactured from gold during the specified period to claim replenishment of gold from Nominated Agencies within 120 days of the Public Notice, despite earlier RBI circular omissions; eligibility covers exporters who exported via overseas exhibitions under paragraph 4A.18(a)(i) and those who booked gold with Nominated Agencies by depositing the prescribed earnest money, subject to realisation of export proceeds and compliance with all Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures conditions.

Minimum Value Addition requirements expanded to cover silver and platinum jewellery exports, detailing category-specific standards and retroactive applicability.
Amendment to paragraph 4.61 of the Hand Book of Procedures 2015-2020 prescribes category-specific Minimum Value Addition standards for export of gold, silver and platinum jewellery and articles, including plain jewellery, studded jewellery, fully mechanized manufacture, medallions and coins (excluding legal tender), and mechanized findings and mountings, and states these standards apply from 01.04.2015.

Special Advance Authorization scheme establishes export obligation period from date of authorisation and requires online filing.
Introduces a procedural framework for the Special Advance Authorization scheme for apparel and clothing accessories under Chapters 61-62: applications must be filed online, digitally signed, by the IEC holder (including specified offices). A new provision makes listed Handbook provisions applicable to the scheme where consistent. Appendix 4J adds fabrics (including interlining) with an Export Obligation Period measured from the date of issue of the authorisation and subject to further extension under existing Handbook mechanisms.

Special Advance Authorisation scheme restricts imports to fabrics, requires minimum value addition and a pre import actual user condition.
The Special Advance Authorisation Scheme permits online authorisation for exporters of apparel and clothing accessories, limits allowable imports to relevant fabrics including interlining, confines exports to items under Chapters 61 and 62, and requires a minimum value addition of 15%. DGFT EDI will calculate value addition automatically (using FOB exports and CIF imports, treating inputs claiming All Industry Rate drawback as 22% of FOB). Fabric is subject to pre import actual user condition, must be physically incorporated into exports, is non transferable except for permitted job work, and only physical exports fulfil export obligations.

MEIS reward rate for onions notified; exporters eligible for the published reward rate for shipments made until year end.
The Director General of Foreign Trade has added an ITC (HS) classification for onions (fresh or chilled) to Table 2 of Appendix 3B under the MEIS and notified a specific MEIS reward rate for that entry, effective immediately for exports made up to the end of the stated eligibility period.

Grievance redressal committee established for trade policy grievances, defining scope, composition and meeting frequency at HQ and zonal levels.
A Grievance Redressal Committee is constituted under Paragraph 9.08 of the HBP, 2015-2020 at DGFT headquarters and at Zonal RAs to ensure speedy redressal of trade and industry grievances under the Foreign Trade Policy. The committee will meet quarterly at HQ and monthly at Zonal RAs. Its terms of reference are to review overdue grievance cases for speedy disposal, address sector-specific grievances, and suggest policy and procedural reforms. Composition includes senior DGFT officials, policy officers, representatives of trade and export promotion councils, and special invitees from departments from which grievances are received.

Removal of mandatory bonding requirements allows EOUs and park units to operate without compulsory customs warehousing constraints.
Amendments remove mandatory warehousing and bonding formalities for EOUs and units in STP/EHTP/BTP by deleting requirements to obtain private bonded/warehousing licences and to execute customs/central excise bonds, replacing references to "bonded premises" with "premises of the unit," and substituting bond officer endorsements with jurisdictional officer endorsements; related form fields capturing bonding dates and consent are deleted and CST reimbursement and conversion procedures are adjusted accordingly.

Clubbing of advance authorisations allowed for annual requirements where exports and imports comply with notified SIONs.
Facility of clubbing shall also be available for Advance Authorisations for Annual Requirement issued during the cited Foreign Trade Policy periods, wherever exports and imports have taken place as per notified Standard Input Output Norms (SION) available in the Handbook of Procedures.

VKGUY benefit eligibility for grape exports packed in imported containers affirmed; FOB value need not exclude packing costs.
DGFT clarified that grapes packed in imported packing material are not within the FTP ineligible category relied on by some field formations, and exporters are entitled to VKGUY benefits on the full FOB value without deducting the cost of imported packing material; this position follows consultation with the Drawback Directorate and corresponds with customs authority guidance on duty drawback treatment for such packing.

Ex officio membership expanded to include President Laghu Udyog Bharti, altering composition of Board of Trade.
Reconstitution of the Board of Trade updates its ex officio membership to include the President, Laghu Udyog Bharti, New Delhi, to ensure MSME representation. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade issues the revised list of ex officio members comprising presidents and chairmen of major trade bodies, export promotion councils and commodity boards, confirming the updated composition with competent authority approval.

Re-fixation of Export Obligation permitted where sectoral exports declined, authorities to adjust EPCG obligations accordingly.
Para 5.19 of the HBP (FTP 2015-20) allows re-fixation of Annual Average Export Obligation where a sector/product group's exports declined by more than five per cent in 2015-16 versus 2014-15; Regional Authorities must re fix EPCG annual average export obligations for 2015-16, endorse any reduction in licence files and amendment sheets, and, when discharging EO, consider prior policy circulars before issuing demand notices, with such consideration reflected in the EODC check-sheet.

De-listing of inspection agency bars issuance of pre-shipment inspection certificates following adjudication for mis-declaration under trade policy.
Following a show cause notice and adjudication for mis-declaration in a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate, the Director General of Foreign Trade, under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020, has deleted M/s. Trans Border Safety Control Inspection Services LLC, USA from Appendix 2G, rendering the agency ineligible to issue Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate and formally de-listing it from the list of recognized inspection agencies.

Exclusion of customer collected taxes from foreign earnings clarifies SFIS/SEIS duty credit must exclude such taxes for entitlement computation.
Service provider entitlement under SFIS/SEIS is based on foreign exchange earned, and only remittances received as amounts in lieu of services rendered qualify. Customer paid State/Central taxes collected by the service provider on behalf of government-such as VAT, luxury tax, and service tax-are not earnings of the service provider and must be excluded from the base used to compute duty credit entitlement.

EPCG export obligation closure permitted for SEZ supplies made before policy change without FCA realization; later supplies require FCA.
Closure and redemption of EPCG authorisations are permitted for DTA suppliers who made supplies to SEZ units prior to the policy change even if proceeds were not realised through the SEZ unit's Foreign Currency Account, because earlier HBP provisions and SEZ Rules did not require FCA receipt for discharge of export obligation; by contrast, the current FTP/HBP requires FCA realisation for counting such supplies toward export obligations for authorisations issued under FTP 2015-20 and for transactions or receipts occurring after the policy change.

Extension of TRQ application deadline for maize gives state trading enterprises additional time to submit import quota applications.
Extension of the time limit for submitting completed ANF-2M applications for allocation of the Tariff Rate Quota on maize is granted under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20), relaxing Para 2.62(I) of the Handbook of Procedure and directing State Trading Enterprises to file ANF-2M applications with prescribed documents and fees to the DGFT by the revised deadline under the allocation framework of Para 2.60.

Input-Output Norms amendment updates SION for upgraded ilmenite exports, revising export/import descriptions and entitlement formula.
Amendment revises SION A 1875 by specifying the export product as Upgraded Beneficiated Ilmenite (Synthetic Rutile) with declared Titanium Dioxide concentration and by listing permitted import items with specified quantities. Entitlement to imported inputs is to be calculated using the declared TiO2 concentrations of export and import items, applying a 13.6% wastage uplift on actual net TiO2 content; export and import documentation must state the specific TiO2 percentages.

Inclusion of Inland Container Depots as Port of Registration enables access to export promotion benefits.
Two Inland Container Depots at Hosur (Tamil Nadu) and Nattakkam Village (Kottayam Taluk and District) are added as Ports of Registration under the Handbook of Procedures for the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, thereby enabling exporters using these ICDs to avail export promotion benefits available to Ports of Registration.

Export authorization for specified SCOMET categories to Iran requires IMWG clearance and concurrence of disarmament division.
Authorization for export of specified SCOMET items to Iran is conditional on compliance with Annex B to UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015). Categories 0, 3 (other than 3D), 4, 5 and 7 are covered. The licensing authority, whether DGFT or Department of Atomic Energy as applicable, must complete the IMWG or applicable internal process and then seek concurrence of the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division as part of the authorization procedure.

Tariff rate quota allocation for sugar to USA increases export allocation under TRQ, subject to reporting and certification requirements.
An additional 1,146 MT of raw cane sugar (98 degree pol) is allocated from the non-levy (Free Sale) quota for export to the USA under the Tariff Rate Quota, increasing the total TRQ allocation for the referenced US fiscal year. Exports under this allocation are free but subject to the Nature of Restrictions and reporting requirements in the cited notification. Certificate of Origin for preferential sugar exports to the USA will be issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai, and other prescribed certification requirements remain applicable until the end of the specified fiscal period.