Payment realisation from SEZ Foreign Currency Account - FCA-only requirement applies to newer FTP; earlier licences may allow INR realisation.
Closure and redemption of Advance Authorisation and DFIA licences where supplies to SEZ units resulted in payment realised in Indian Rupees may be allowed if the transaction conforms to the provisions of FTP 2009-14, since that regime did not require payment from the SEZ unit's Foreign Currency Account; licences issued under the subsequent FTP remain subject to the FCA realisation requirement for discharge of export obligation.

Manufacturer exporter status verification now requires independent proof to the relevant authority under public notice procedures.
The corrigendum removes the additional documentary requirement at S.L. No. 7 of Trade Notice No. 4/AM16 effective immediately to streamline IEC issuance and reduce transaction costs, while stipulating that any person or firm claiming manufacturer exporter status must independently prove that status to the relevant authority as required by sub clause (viii) of Public Notice No. 58.

Export permission for SCOMET items: authorised for stock-and-sale and spare parts subject to EUC and IMWG oversight.
Paragraph 2.79A permits export of SCOMET items from an Indian principal or wholly owned subsidiary to foreign subsidiaries, principal companies or warehouses for stock & sale after IMWG evaluation and on the basis of End User Certificates; further transfers require EUCs and prior submission to the licensing authority, with possible IMWG relaxation after Risk Assessment. Paragraph 2.79B allows IMWG to consider export permission for SCOMET spare parts together with the main equipment application if justified, avoiding a separate application and reducing transaction time and cost.

Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency re-enlistment restores two agencies in the Appendix, enabling their operation under FTP provisions.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20, re-enlists two Pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies-M/s. Olivine Commercial Pte. Ltd. and Sandeep Garg & Company-in Appendix 2G at Sl. Nos. 36 and 37, specifying their areas of operation and contact details and placing the re-enlistment in immediate effect until the stated cutoff date.

Online-only IEC submission required; applicants must use personal email and upload prescribed documents for issuance.
All fresh Importer Exporter Code (IEC) applications must be filed online and manual applications will not be accepted after the prescribed cut-off; online applications generate electronic IECs automatically. Applicants must supply their own email for communications and upload documents as specified in the DGFT Notification, with Manufacturer Exporters required to submit Industrial License/IEM Part II and Service Providers required to submit Service Tax Registration Certificate in addition to the Notification-prescribed documents.

Foreign trade training program announced: online course on policy, procedures and finance with concession and application deadline.
DGFT, through the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, is offering an online Foreign Trade Training program covering product and market identification, Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, and procedural matters relating to DGFT, Customs, banks and trade finance; the program is fee-based with a concession for deserving candidates, applicants must contact the Office of the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in Pune via the provided contact details and submit responses by the advertised deadline, and an introductory in-person session in Pune may be arranged if sufficient interest is shown.

Trade facilitation measures: Pune DGFT discontinues hand delivery and mandates dispatch by speed post; urgent cases require office ID.
The Pune Regional Office institutes a personal-contact-free procedure: hand delivery of all document categories at counters is discontinued and all correspondence, including authorizations and deficiency letters, will be dispatched by Speed Post; in cases of absolute necessity or urgency, exporters/importers may approach the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in person on production of the office-issued ID card.

Importer-Exporter Code applications now require online filing with PAN and bank proof plus digital signature from 1 April 2016.
The amendment mandates online-only filing for Importer-Exporter Code applications and modifications via the revised ANF-2A, requiring upload of only PAN and a cancelled cheque bearing the entity's pre-printed name or a Bank Certificate plus the signatory's digital photograph; manual submissions cease w.e.f. 01.04.2016. Applications filed online must be digitally signed (Class-II or Class-III). Regional Authorities will process complete applications per the attached checklist, verify details against Income Tax and MCA records, and communicate grant or refusal within two working days.

Extension of recognition for Pre shipment Inspection Agencies preserves validity for agencies expiring by May deadline.
The Director General of Foreign Trade, under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy, relaxes Paragraph 2.55(d) of the Handbook of Procedure to extend recognition of Pre shipment Inspection Agencies listed in Appendix 2G whose three year tenure has ended or whose validity would expire on or before 31 May 2016, maintaining their validity up to 31 May 2016.

Duty Free Import Authorisation post-export rule: DFIA limited to post-export with basic customs duty exemption and defined transfer rules.
DFIA eligibility has been confined to a post-export scheme under FTP 2015-20 with exemption limited to basic customs duty and the AU condition removed; pending online DFIA applications filed before 1.04.2015 may be issued by RAs on post-export basis as admissible, while DFIA entitlement for raw sugar is withdrawn w.e.f. 01.05.2015 and is only allowable for consignments with LEOs up to 2400 hrs on 30.04.2015; pending transfer requests for DFIAs issued under FTP 2009-14 (not involving raw sugar) may be processed under the original terms if documents are in order, and exporters may convert shipping bills to drawback where DFIA benefit is not available.

In-person visits restricted; meetings allowed only by PRO screening and Joint DGFT approval, with email preferred for queries.
Access to the office is restricted and in-person visits are discouraged, allowed only in exceptional circumstances after screening by the PRO and approval by the Joint DGFT, with Gate Pass issued by the PRO. Hand-delivery of licences and scrips is discontinued and generally discouraged; exceptional hand-delivery for arrived goods requires a written request with documentary proof and will be considered by the Joint DGFT and, if authorised, effected through the PRO based on urgency. Trade must use email for pending-case queries addressed to the Joint DGFT.

Mandatory documentation rule: export import limited to three core documents, additional papers allowed only for regulatory compliance.
Requirement to limit mandatory export and import paperwork to three documents for routine shipments is affirmed: exports require Bill of Lading/Airway Bill, Commercial Invoice cum Packing List, and Shipping Bill/Bill of Export; imports require Bill of Lading/Airway Bill, Commercial Invoice cum Packing List, and Bill of Entry. Relevant regulatory authorities may notify or request additional documents where statutory restrictions, policy conditions, product specific compliances, or NOCs make them necessary, and deviations should be reported to the DGFT through trade bodies.

Trade office paperless procedure requires email first submissions and restricted physical access to ensure transparent DGFT operations.
DGFT requires a paperless and personal contact free regime: outside persons should not enter offices except in limited cases; all queries/submissions must be made by e mail to the concerned officer, replied to within 48 hours and copied to the Head of Office for weekly review. Physical submissions, if unavoidable, should be dispatched by post with e mail references or deposited at a Receipt Desk with computerized acknowledgement. In person meetings are limited to Heads or officers not below Joint DGFT and Regional Authorities must publish and review online pending application lists.

Importer Exporter Code requirement urged for services exporters to improve trade statistics reporting and compliance.
The Department of Commerce, through DGCI&S, is addressing inadequacies in services trade data by collecting import and export of services statistics and urging all services exporters who do not possess an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) to voluntarily obtain IEC from Regional Authorities of DGFT and use it when effecting exports or imports of services so that comprehensive IEC based trade statistics can be captured.

Zero tolerance to corruption: mandatory monitoring, staff rotation and public reporting to deter corrupt practices and exclude touts.
Zero tolerance to corruption is mandated for DGFT and Regional Authorities, requiring vigilance to preserve integrity and transparency. Officers with dubious reputations are to be placed on a 'Watch List', assigned to non sensitive posts, and subject to work rotation; touts and middlemen must be identified, reported and made persona non grata. The trade community is requested to refuse cooperation with improper activity and promptly report suspected corruption to DGFT and the vigilance apparatus via provided contact channels.

Export permission through ICDs for specified leather categories now includes ICD Kheda under existing sampling and testing regime.
Export of Finished Leather, Wet Blue and EI Tanned Leather is permitted through the ICD at Kheda using CLRI Ahmedabad's sampling, testing and certification facilities on a call basis, with procedures for drawal of samples and certification to continue as notified in the earlier Public Notice.

Certificate of Origin authorization: Indian Industries Association branch authorized to issue non preferential certificates and enlisted under FTP appendix.
Authorization under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy enlists the Indian Industries Association's New Delhi branch in Appendix 2E as an agency authorized to issue Certificate of Origin (Non Preferential), enabling that branch to lawfully issue non preferential certificates for exporters and be recorded in the FTP's list of issuing agencies.

Change of IEC address with jurisdictional shift requires application to new RA, file transfer from old RA and amendment enabling benefits.
Where an IEC holder changes its Branch, Head or Registered Office causing a shift of the jurisdictional RA, the applicant must apply to the new RA and send a copy of that request with application details to the old RA. The old RA will transfer the IEC file to the new RA, which will amend the IEC based on the transferred file and fresh documents; the new RA shall enable the person at the new address to perform functions and apply for benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy.

Track and Trace compliance for pharmaceutical exports requires GS1 barcoding and central portal data upload, subject to limited exemptions.
Manufacturers and exporters must apply GS1-standard barcoding on secondary and tertiary packaging and upload prescribed packaging data to the central portal before release. Primary pack barcoding is temporarily exempted, but human-readable details are required. Manufacturers must maintain a Parent-Child Relationship across packaging levels and upload that data, subject to phased exemptions for all manufacturers and extended relief for SSI manufacturers; consignments manufactured before exemption cut-offs are exempt from upload. Liability for data accuracy and timely upload lies with the manufacturer or exporter, and importer-mandated requirements may permit alternate compliance with prior approval.

Seal type A: enter seal type on the EDI shipping bill to avoid RMS re examination of supervised containers.
Containers under Central Excise supervision should have seal type A entered when filing the EDI shipping bill so RMS will generally not select them for re examination. Annexure C itself cannot be filed at EDI shipping bill submission, but the seal type contained in Annexure C can and should be fed at that time; failure to do so leads to RMS treating such containers as ordinary consignments and may cause de stuffing and re stuffing.