Export permission through ICDs/CFSs expands permitted exit points for finished and semi-processed leather under existing testing rules.
Export of Finished Leather, Wet Blue and EI Tanned Leather is permitted through ICDs/CFSs identified/notified by Customs at Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata in addition to earlier notified seaports and airports, and the existing procedure for drawal of samples and testing prescribed in Public Notice No. 23 dated 13.08.2013 shall continue to apply.

Advance authorization for prohibited exports allows conditional export subject to pre-import norms and strict penalties.
Advance authorization is permitted for otherwise prohibited export items subject to pre-import conditions under notified SION or prior fixation of norms by the Norms Committee, with import/export only through EDI-enabled ports. Imported inputs are subject to an actual user condition and cannot be transferred for any purpose. Export obligations are time-bound to a fixed Export Obligation Period from import clearance with no extensions; non-fulfilment or shortfall in value addition attracts a penalty multiple on the CIF value plus duty and interest.

Export registration limit for sugar increased, allowing exporters to register larger contract quantities; online registration remains mandatory.
Enhancement of the export registration limit for sugar permits exporters to seek registration of larger contract quantities per application; this change solely raises the numerical ceiling while all other eligibility criteria and registration conditions remain unchanged. Applications must be filed through the mandated online system in accordance with the applicable Trade Notice, and exporters must continue to follow the existing procedural modalities and documentation requirements for contract registration.

CXL concession sugar quota: EU export requires certificate of origin and GSP/EUR endorsement at shipment.
Allocation designates 10,000 metric tonnes of CXL Concessions Sugar for EU export under the Foreign Trade Policy. M/s Indian Sugar Exim Corporation Limited is the designated export agency. Exports must be accompanied by a certificate of origin issued in accordance with Articles 55-65 of Regulation (EEC) No. 2454/93 as required by Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No. 891/2009, with the specified CXL wording on export authorizations. The GSP Certificate and Certificate of Origin are to be issued by the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Mumbai, and the EUR form endorsed by Customs at the port.

Non availment of CENVAT declaration required to claim deemed export drawback; customs duty refundable but no double benefit.
A supplier declaration of non availment of CENVAT credit/rebate (Annexure III of ANF 8) is required to claim deemed export drawback; if CENVAT on central excise duty has been availed, drawback for that excise component is not admissible. Basic customs duty paid on inputs/components remains recoverable as brand rate drawback based on actual duty paid documents under the FTP and HBP procedures. Applicants must also ensure they have not claimed CENVAT credit on service tax for input services to avoid double benefit.

Applicability of FTP import linkage clarified: imports permitted only for inputs actually used in prior exports.
Applicability of para 4.1.15 is specified: transactions with both export and import completed before the amendment are excluded; where export was completed before the amendment but import remains, imports are allowed only with an undertaking that only inputs actually used in the exported goods will be imported; transferable DFIAs endorsed before the amendment are excluded; and for exports made on or after the amendment date, para 4.1.15 applies irrespective of import timing.

Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies approved and enlisted in Appendix 5, updating authorised inspectors and operational regions immediately.
Amendments designate and enlist specified entities as Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies (PSIA) in Appendix 5 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I) under paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2009-14. The Director General of Foreign Trade adds named inspection agencies and their regional or branch offices to the Appendix with immediate effect, thereby updating the roster of authorized PSIA and recording their areas of operation for pre-shipment inspection and trade compliance purposes.

Export obligation regularisation: pay customs duty and interest, obtain RA closure letter to regularize adjudicated or appealed cases; reporting required
Applicants must pay outstanding customs duty and interest to Customs and submit evidence to the Regional Authority, which may close the export obligation default and issue a closure letter. The closure letter is to be presented to the Adjudicating Authority or Appellate Authority as applicable for final action. Regional Authorities must submit a monthly proforma report to DGFT recording authorization details, duty and interest paid, and dates of request and closure.

Correction of import description updates SION A-3504 chemical nomenclature under the Handbook of Procedures for trade compliance.
Amendment corrects the description of an import item in the Handbook of Procedures Vol II by revising the chemical nomenclature in the Standard Input-Output Norms entry at SION A-3504, replacing the previously listed name with the corrected chemical name for import item no. 1; the change is an administrative textual correction to the published SION entry.

Standard Input Output Norms revision alters leather input specifications and technical descriptions under SION entries G 7 and G 46.
Revisions amend Standard Input Output Norms (SION) entries G 7 and G 46 for leather products by deleting some inputs, changing descriptions and specifying technical details. Annex I and Annex II prescribe revised input lists and allowable quantities per 1,000 sq. ft. of finished leather, covering tanning agents, chemicals, dyes, finishing materials, transfer foil and miscellaneous items. The Notice states export product descriptions and permissible input quantities remain unchanged except where inputs are deleted, and imposes Actual User restrictions and prohibitions on specified substances.

Re-fixation of Annual Average Export Obligation allowed where sectoral export decline exceeds threshold; regional offices must amend EPCG licences.
Para 5.11.2 permits re-fixation of Annual Average Export Obligation where a sector/product group shows specified export decline; Regional Offices must re-fix the obligation for EPCG Authorisations for 2012-13, endorse reductions in licence files, issue Amendment Sheets to holders, and consider prior policy circulars under Para 5.11.2 before issuing demand notices, incorporating this requirement into the EODC check-sheet. A list of affected product groups is enclosed.

Primary packaging designation: mono cartons treated as primary packaging and require GS1 Data Matrix barcodes encoding GTIN, batch, expiry, serial.
The DGFT amendment requires 2D (GS1 Data Matrix) barcodes on medicines at strip, vial or bottle (primary pack) level encoding GTIN, Batch Number, Expiry Date and Serial Number, and clarifies that mono cartons containing strips, vials or bottles are to be treated as part of primary packaging for export consignments of pharmaceuticals and drugs.

Suspension of SIONs under Foreign Trade Policy powers; specified SION entries suspended via Public Notice by trade authority.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, invoking Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2009-2014 and Paragraph 1.1 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I), issues a Public Notice suspending SION A1143, A1170, A3627 and K134, thereby removing those specified SIONs from operative effect pending further action.

Import item description amendment replaces monomer term with polymer term, clarifying coating material and keeping quantities unchanged.
Import Item No. 2(b) description is amended to replace "Aqueous Dispersion of Vinylidene Chloride (Total solid content 60+/-1%)" with "Aqueous Dispersion of Polyvinylidene Chloride (Total solid content 60+/-1%)", reflecting that the polymer, not the monomer, is used for coating; export product descriptions, other import items and permitted import quantities are unchanged.

Incremental export scrutiny tightened; enhanced documentation, CA certification and specific filing timelines required for high growth claims.
Claims under the Incremental Exports Incentivisation Scheme with growth beyond prescribed thresholds will face enhanced Regional Authority scrutiny requiring evidence of manufacture or purchase, verification of suppliers' export performance, and any other evidence to justify growth and entitlement. The amendment applies Handbook procedural rules to affected claims for the specified benefit year, prescribes use of the revised ANF 3F, requires Chartered Accountant certification of exports and quarterly incremental figures, and confirms filing timelines and late cut applicability.

Border trade commodity description corrected; three wheelers and cars reclassified to include vehicles below one thousand cc.
The DGFT amends Sl. No. 22 of Para 2(iii) of Public Notice No. 30(RE-2012)/2009-2014 to correct a typographical error: the item is to be read as Three Wheelers/Cars below 1000 CC in place of the incorrect description Three Wheelers/Cars below 100 CC. All other provisions of the Public Notice remain unaltered.

Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency delisting renders the firm immediately ineligible to issue inspection certificates under trade policy.
Under authority of the Foreign Trade Policy, M/s. Geo Chem Far East Pte. Ltd. has been deleted from the roster of Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies and is immediately ineligible to issue Pre Shipment Inspection Certificates; the amendment updates the Appendix listing in the Handbook of Procedures and references prior public notices that had listed the agency.

Import quota allocation for rough marble and travertine blocks set with conditional authorisations and mandatory monthly reporting.
Allocation of import quantities of rough marble and travertine blocks is announced with a detailed Annexure of 539 applicants; RAs may issue import authorisations within a limited window, subject to verification. Applicants who submit false or erroneous information will forfeit the allocation, be debarred from future allocations and face penal action. Licence holders must file monthly import returns by the 15th of the succeeding month. Firms marked deficient must cure deficiencies within one week to DGFT (Hqrs) before licences will be issued by RAs.

Importer-Exporter Code misuse warns of suspension or penalty under the foreign trade regulatory framework for unauthorized use.
Use of Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) by any person other than the IEC holder is prohibited; Section 7 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act and Rule 12 of the Foreign Trade (Regulation) Rules together with Para 2.9.2 of the Handbook of Procedures confirm IEC validity for the holder (and its branches/divisions) only, with limited exemptions for entities using permanent common IECs. Unauthorized use attracts suspension, cancellation or penalty under the Act and Rules.

Proof of export relaxed for gold articles; gold consignments under customs bond may be released without bank realisation.
For exports of gold jewellery and articles of gold, the DGFT relaxes the requirement to insist on the bank certificate of realisation for proof of export; if the E.P. copy of the shipping bill and a customs attested invoice are produced and RBI/Ministry of Finance guidelines are observed, gold consignments under customs bond may be released without waiting for bank realisation. The three document proof requirement continues to apply to other exports, and the bank certificate remains necessary where export benefits are claimed.