Electronic sealing requirement: voluntary transition now, mandatory at specified ports from March and elsewhere from April.
Entitled exporters with RFID e seals stuffing containers at approved premises where readers exist may voluntarily adopt electronic sealing until 1 March 2018. From 1 March 2018 electronic sealing is mandatory for exporters permitted self sealing previously, AEO exporters, and those availing supervised stuffing at their premises at fifteen specified Ports/ICDs. At all other Ports/ICDs the procedure becomes mandatory from 1 April 2018. Exporters already using e seals may continue; those under officer supervision retain that facility until mandatory implementation. Difficulties are to be reported to the Preventive General office.

Maintenance of books of accounts: principals and auctioneers may keep records at principal place with intimation; ITC subject to conditions.
Principals and auctioneers must declare warehouses as additional place(s) of business and generally maintain books of accounts at each such place. If maintaining books at every additional place causes difficulties, they may keep those books at their principal place of business instead, provided they intimate the jurisdictional proper officer in writing. Buyers storing auction-purchased goods in such warehouses must also disclose them as additional places. Principals and auctioneers remain eligible to claim input tax credit subject to other statutory provisions and rules; the clarification concerns goods sold only through auction.

Artworks on approval: GST applies only upon actual sale; inter state movements treated as inter state supplies attracting integrated tax.
Artworks moved for exhibition or approval may be transported on a delivery challan with an e way bill where applicable, and the tax invoice may be issued only upon actual supply. Movements between States are inter State supplies attracting integrated tax. Consignment of artworks to galleries without consideration is not a supply; GST arises when a buyer selects and the sale is effected.

Manual filing of advance ruling applications permitted with online fee deposit and prescribed Forms GST ARA 01-03; jurisdictional filing required.
Manual filing is permitted for advance ruling applications and appeals where the portal module is unavailable: advance ruling applications must be filed in quadruplicate in FORM GST ARA 01 and appeals in quadruplicate in FORM GST ARA 02 (officer appeals in FORM GST ARA 03). The fee must nevertheless be deposited online via a generated temporary user ID and challan. All submissions must be self-attested, signed by prescribed authorised persons, and filed at the jurisdictional State Authority or State Appellate Authority.

Manual refund processing for inverted duty, deemed exports and electronic cash ledger balances continues pending portal availability.
Refunds for inverted duty credit, deemed exports and excess electronic cash ledger balances must be filed and processed manually in FORM GST RFD-01A until the portal module is available; claimants must submit specified statements (including Statement 1/1A for inverted duty and Statement 5B for deemed exports), required documentary evidence and undertakings, ensure prior return filings as preconditions, and comply with procedures for debiting/crediting ledgers, communication between Central and State nodal officers, and prohibitions on previously claimed drawback.

Maintenance of books of accounts: principals and auctioneers may keep records at principal place with written intimation, subject to ITC.
Clarifies that warehouses storing auction goods must be declared as additional place(s) of business, and that while records should ordinarily be maintained at each additional place, principals and auctioneers facing difficulties may maintain the books relating to those additional places at their principal place of business after intimating the jurisdictional proper officer in writing. Eligibility to claim input tax credit is preserved subject to the Act and rules, and the clarification applies to goods supplied only through auction where the auctioneer claims ITC on supplies from the principal.

Supply by artists: artworks sent to galleries are not a taxable supply until a buyer selects and GST applies on sale.
Artworks moved on an approval basis may be transported on a delivery challan with an e-way bill where applicable, and invoice issued at actual supply; inter-State movements attract IGST. Goods sent by artists to galleries for exhibition without consideration from the gallery are not supplies; GST is payable only when a buyer selects and purchases the displayed artwork, at which time a tax invoice must be issued.

Manual filing allowed for GST refunds on inverted duty, deemed exports and electronic cash ledger balances under FORM GST RFD-01A.
Manual filing and processing is required for refunds of ITC due to inverted duty structure, refunds on deemed exports, and refunds of excess electronic cash ledger balances; such claims must be submitted in FORM GST RFD-01A (with Statements 1/1A for inverted-duty and Statement 5B for deemed exports), accompanied by required documentary evidences and undertakings, filed monthly (or quarterly for eligible quarterly GSTR-1 filers), and processed under the CGST Act/Rules with specified inter-authority liaison, timelines, and repayment undertakings where provisional sanction is granted.

Empanelment of valuers for valuation of seized and confiscated goods appointed under prescribed one-year term.
Selection of chartered valuers for valuation of seized, confiscated, detained and time-expired bonded goods: five named firms were empanelled following interviews. Empanelment is for one year from the letter of appointment (26.12.2017) or until termination, subject to authorized extension; all appointees accepted the terms and conditions.

Electronic sealing for export containers becomes voluntary initially, then mandatory at designated ports and subsequently nationwide.
The notice phases in mandatory electronic sealing for export containers: exporters with RFID e-seals and reader-equipped approved premises may adopt e-sealing voluntarily until the mandatory phase. Fifteen specified ports/ICDs will require mandatory e-sealing for exporters authorized for self-sealing, AEO exporters, and those availing supervised stuffing; other ports/ICDs will follow in a subsequent mandatory roll-out. Exporters already using e-seals may continue, and those under officer supervision retain that facility until e-sealing becomes mandatory at their export station.

Countervailing duty rebate as duty drawback: brand-rate claims allowed when inputs bearing that duty are used in exports.
Countervailing duties are rebatable as duty drawback but are not included in All Industry Rates; therefore such duties may be claimed only by seeking a brand rate under the Drawback Rules, contingent on verification that inputs charged with countervailing duty were used in the exported goods. When imported goods charged with countervailing duty are exported as such, drawback may include the incidence of countervailing duty as part of total duties paid, subject to other conditions.

Electronic sealing for export containers: voluntary adoption available now, phased mandatory rollout at designated locations then nationwide.
Implementation of electronic sealing permits exporters with RFID e-seals stuffing at approved premises and reader facilities to adopt e-sealing voluntarily; existing users may continue. Mandatory adoption is phased: exporters previously permitted self-sealing, AEO exporters, and those availing supervised stuffing at their premises must use e-seals at a specified list of fifteen ports/ICDs when the requirement becomes mandatory for those locations, while e-sealing at all other ports/ICDs will become mandatory on a later specified date. Difficulties should be reported to customs.

Customs exemption for bonafide gifts allows duty and IGST relief on qualifying air or postal imports within prescribed value.
Full Customs duty and IGST relief applies to bona fide gifts imported by post or air that meet the prescribed CIF value limit and are not subject to prohibitions under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992; this relief was effected by inserting a specific entry into the customs notification framework.

Refund sanction procedure updated: DDO must submit details in IFMS and treasury office to release payment.
Correction to the GST circular: the final sanction step for manual refund processing now requires the DDO of the jurisdictional office to submit refund details in the IFMS system and send a signed copy of the sanction order to the treasury office for release of payment, replacing the prior reference to submission in PFMS/[States'] system by the Division's DDO and forwarding to the PAO.

Electronic sealing for containers becomes mandatory at specified export locations, with phased implementation and voluntary adoption until enforcement.
The Board permits exporters with RFID e-seals and access to reader-equipped export stations to continue or voluntarily adopt e-sealing until it becomes mandatory: phased mandatory implementation begins at specified major ports and ICDs after 1 March 2018 for self-sealing permitted exporters, AEOs, and those doing supervised stuffing at premises, and extends to all other ports/ICDs from 1 April 2018; exporters under officer supervision may continue that facility until the mandatory date and implementation issues should be reported to Customs.

Payment in Indian rupees at duty free shops enables direct INR card settlement and mandates prices be shown in rupees.
Payments in Indian rupees through INR debit and credit cards are authorised at airport Duty Free Shops for outgoing and incoming passengers, permitting direct settlement in Indian currency without mandatory foreign-exchange conversion. Duty Free Shops must ensure INR card transactions do not impose conversion or related charges and must display the price of all goods in Indian rupees only. Existing ceilings on cash payments remain in force and equivalent limits apply to card payments in arrival areas, while INR card payments in departure areas are not subject to that ceiling. Payments in foreign currency must use the customs exchange rate for conversion.

Empanelment of Chartered Engineers for valuation of second-hand machinery; applications invited with specified documents and appraisal requirement.
Empanelment is being initiated for Chartered Engineers to value imported old and used/second-hand machinery and related goods; applications from Mangaluru-based Chartered Engineers must be submitted in the prescribed proforma with supporting qualification, valuation and GST certificates by the stated deadline. Applications are to be sent in a sealed cover to the Deputy Commissioner of Customs, New Customs House, Panambur. A Public Notice will thereafter list empanelled engineers and notified agencies under the CBEC Circular, and empanelled engineers must submit half yearly Self Appraisal Reports for continuing assessment.

First time import verification now requires GST registration and relevant tax returns for documentary compliance.
First-time import consignments require a copy of VAT/Sales Tax/GST Registration Certificate and a copy of the Income Tax Return or VAT/Sales Tax Return or GST Return filed for the relevant previous or current period; all other documentary requirements and procedures in prior public notices remain unchanged, and implementation difficulties should be reported to the Additional/Joint Commissioner of Customs (Import).

E-sealing requirement phased implementation makes electronic container sealing mandatory at designated ports, with voluntary adoption permitted earlier.
Implementation of E-sealing for export containers is phased: exporters with RFID e-seals at premises with reader facilities may adopt e-sealing immediately and it is voluntary until 15 March 2018. From the first phase commencement date, e-sealing is mandatory for exporters with prior self-sealing permission, AEO exporters, and those using supervised stuffing at specified ports and ICDs. All other Ports/ICDs move to mandatory e-sealing from the second phase commencement date. Exporters already using e-sealing may continue; issues should be reported to the Commissioner.

Exemption from open offer obligations: standardised application format and trust-deed conditions streamline SEBI processing of acquisition proposals.
Regulation 11(1) permits the Board to grant an exemption from open offer obligations and Regulation 11(3) requires acquirers to file an application with a sworn affidavit. SEBI prescribes a standard application format (Annexure A) requiring detailed disclosures about acquirers, target company, proposed acquisition, triggered provisions, and supporting documents, and sets out a Schedule of specific trust-deed conditions and undertakings where a Trust is the acquirer, while clarifying that compliance does not guarantee exemption and applications will be considered case-by-case.