Pre-shipment inspection agencies updated: a new authorised PSIA is added to the approved list, altering inspection provider options.
Addition of a new Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency to Appendix 5 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I) is notified, naming the agency, providing head office and branch office contact details, and specifying its areas of operation; the amendment takes immediate effect under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade Policy and updates the roster of authorised inspection providers available for exporters.

Deemed export benefits require international competitive bidding, with a mega power project exception for tariff based awards.
Deemed export benefits under Para 8.2(f) of the FTP are unavailable for Non Mega Power Projects and are available only if supplies are made under International Competitive Bidding, except that Mega Power Projects awarded via tariff based competitive bidding (or with requisite power tied up similarly) qualify without ICB. Supplies under ICB are exempt from Terminal Excise Duty; supplies not under ICB are eligible for refund.

Online registration for export certificates becomes mandatory, shifting RC applications to digital submission with transitional hard-copy issuance.
Registration Certificates for exports of cotton, cotton yarn, non-basmati rice, wheat and sugar must be applied for online; until the Message Exchange System with CBEC is in place applicants must bring a printed copy of the online application plus Letter of Credit or Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate as applicable and the Export Contract when collecting the hard-copy RC. Grant of RCs will continue in hard form initially, with electronic copies available on request and full electronic transmission to follow once MES is operational.

Transaction cost reduction initiative to identify export procedural impediments and recommend digital, paperless processing reforms.
Constitution of a Second Task Force on Transaction Cost to identify causes of high export transaction costs, locate administrative impediments and procedural complexities, compare India's export procedures with major competitors, and recommend guidelines drawn from global best practices. The Task Force must also suggest measures to increase transparency and move toward paperless processing through digital platforms, and solicit suggestions from central and state ministries, trade bodies and industry via the designated contact point.

Transfer of imported firearms permitted with certification by shooting authorities after specified waiting periods, subject to Arms Act compliance.
Amendment permits a Renowned Shooter to transfer an imported firearm for sporting pursuit to an upcoming shooter certified by a recognized shooting authority after a prescribed waiting period from import; the transferee may later transfer or resell to a buyer similarly certified for sporting use after a further waiting period from first sale. Transfers remain subject to the Arms Act and state/local police rules, and certifying authorities must maintain records.

Incremental Export Incentivisation Scheme: ANF 3F required to claim entitlement based on verified incremental exports and CA certification.
ANF 3F is prescribed as the mandatory application form to claim benefits under the Incremental Export Incentivisation Scheme for exports in Jan-Mar 2013 vis-a -vis Jan-Mar 2012. The form requires export performance figures for both periods, computation of incremental growth and entitlement, port of registration, and split-certificate requests. Applications must be accompanied by a Chartered Accountant certificate verifying shipping bills, Let Export and BRC details, eligible destinations, proof of landing, and annexed shipment-level data as specified in the Handbook of Procedures.

Document submission facility expanded to accept multiple files; staggered call dates instituted to manage processing and reduce exporter visits.
The counter shall accept all documents an exporter brings even if they relate to more than three files, to facilitate trade and reduce transaction costs. To enable proper processing, the counter will give staggered call dates in sets of three files per party so sections can process files in manageable batches.

Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies added and operational areas amended, expanding inspection coverage and correcting registry entries.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends Appendix 5 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol I) to add two Pre Shipment Inspection Agencies with specified contact details and areas of operation, and corrects the existing Sl. No. 30 entry to update the name, contacts and broaden the operational region for Worldwide Logistic, Survey and Inspection Group and Affiliates.

Certificate of Origin authorization: VTPC and its branches now authorised to issue non-preferential certificates for export compliance.
Authorisation under paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2009-2014 enlists Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre, Bangalore, and its Dharwad and Mysore branches to issue Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential). Their names are added at Serial No. 7 (Karnataka) of Appendix 4C of the Handbook of Procedure Vol. I, 2009-2014, making these offices authorized issuers for export documentation and compliance.

Deletion of Sodium Dithionate as permissible input under SION entries reduces permissible inputs and takes immediate effect.
The Handbook of Procedures (Vol. II) deletes Sodium Dithionate (Hy-drose) as a permissible input from SION entries G-7 and G-46 in the Leather Product Group, reducing permissible inputs in those entries from forty-three to forty-two, effective immediately, with no change to descriptions or quantities of other inputs.

Standard Input-Output Norms: new SION prescribes input quantities for Amyl Salicylate exports under foreign trade policy.
Notification of a new SION A-3642 prescribes input-output norms for export of Amyl Salicylate, specifying allowable import items (Primary Amyl Alcohol or Pentanol Mixture; Salicylic Acid) and their permitted quantities tied to the export quantity, inserted in the Chemicals and Allied Products Group under the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures.

SION notification for Verdyl Propionate specifies permitted imported inputs for its export under Foreign Trade Policy.
Notification under Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy and Paragraph 1.1 of the Handbook of Procedures announces SION A-3641 for Verdyl Propionate, prescribing permitted imported input items - dicyclopentadiene and propionic acid - with specified input quantities relative to the export quantity, and formally adding the SION to the Chemicals and Allied Products Group.

SION notification updates export controls for Verdyl Acetate, specifying permitted precursor imports and compliance conditions.
Notification of a new SION A-3640 prescribes the regulatory input-output specification for the export product Verdyl Acetate, listing the export product, a prescribed export quantity, and the specific import precursor items with allowed input quantities; the entry brings Verdyl Acetate into the Chemicals and Allied Products Group SION roster and establishes the compliance baseline for exporters.

Revalidation of duty credit scrips permits utilisation of re credited SAD without RA endorsement; final extension applies.
For purpose of utilisation of re credit of 4% Special Additional Duty (SAD), freely transferable duty credit scrips (including DEPB) shall be deemed revalidated until 30.09.2013 without further Regional Authority endorsement; if Customs issues a consolidated certificate by 30.06.2013, the SAD amount in that certificate shall be deemed re credited in the scrips without reference to any DGFT Regional Authority. This is the final extension and no further extensions will be considered; future refunds require payment of SAD in cash.

Remote work authorization permits IT export unit employees to work outside their unit while preserving unit liability and export-from-premises rules.
Permits persons/ employees of IT-related EOU, STP, EHTP or BTP to work from outside the unit provided the unit issues an authorization specifying duration, retains responsibility and supervision for the work and remains liable for misuse, and ensures that export of resultant products or services takes place only from the premises of the unit.

Zero duty EPCG Authorisation validity extended to eighteen months, with immediate effect from date of issue.
Amendment increases the validity period of Zero duty EPCG Authorisation from nine months to eighteen months, with the revised validity running from the date of issue and taking immediate effect under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade Policy.

Reward and incentive scheme amendments alter product classifications, eligibility and benefit rates, effective for exports from May.
Amendments to the Reward/Incentive Schemes effective 01.05.2013 delete specified castor oil cake entries, reclassify aromatic oil items from VKGUY Table 2 to FPS Table 1, and add new VKGUY items with stated admissible rates. Appendix 37D (FPS) is expanded with numerous products and assigned benefit rates and bonuses, certain Table 1 rates are amended, MLFPS and Focus Market Scheme listings are updated, MLFPS benefits for Chapters 61-62 to USA/EU are extended, and editorial corrections and additions to Towns of Export Excellence and country lists are made.

Clubbing of authorisations: procedural disposal of specified pending requests under prior Handbook provisions, subject to stipulated conditions.
Paragraph 4.20.5 is amended to allow Regional Authorities to dispose of certain pending clubbing requests for Advance Licences/Authorisations received by the specified cut off under the prior Handbook provisions subject to conditions in the cited public notice. Appendix 21C NOTE 3 is corrected to insert DFIA in the Procedure of Electronic Fund Transfer, and the practice for issuing duplicate authorisations in lieu of cancelled ones is aligned with the standard additional application fee.

Alignment of export product codes: draft VKGUY/FPS/MLFPS posted for stakeholder feedback; duty credit rates and deadlines specified.
DGFT issued a Trade Notice seeking stakeholder views on draft revisions to Appendix 37A (VKGUY) and Appendix 37D (FPS and MLFPS) to align item descriptions with ITC (HS) classification. Draft appendices listing eligible export items and admissible duty credit rates (VKGUY largely 5%; FPS/MLFPS bonus benefits typically 2% or 5%) are posted on the DGFT website; stakeholders were invited to submit feedback by e mail by the stated deadline. Exports via specified Land Custom Stations attract an additional 1% Duty Credit Scrip.

EPCG authorizations require Nexus certification and are tied to proportional export obligations under structured block fulfilment.
DGFT revised Chapter 5 consolidating the EPCG Scheme effective 18 April 2013: authorizations in ANF5A are issued with a specific duty-saved amount and corresponding specific export obligation, require a Nexus Certificate from an independent Chartered Engineer, and obligate installation certification to the RA. EO is structured in two blocks (50% in years 1-4; 50% in years 5-6) with permitted automatic 10% adjustments, extensions subject to 2% composition fee or 10% EO enhancement, monitoring by RA, redemption via ANF5B, and penalties for default under FT(D&R) Act, FTP and Customs Act. Post-export duty credit scrips and Green Technology product lists are provided.