Import declaration requirements now mandate brand, model, grade and specifications at filing to improve customs assessment quality.
Importers, exporters and CHAs must declare brand, model, grade, specifications and any other information relevant for customs assessment on Annexure 1 when filing Bills of Entry in the ICES/EDI system. The Annexure 1 to Public Notice 85/99 has been revised to capture these item-level and invoice-level details (including manufacturer name, end use and country of manufacture) to reduce queries and improve assessment quality; the Public Notice is modified accordingly and the revised format is annexed.

Customs classification of chilli seeds confirms eligibility for notification benefit under vegetable seeds heading for import.
Seeds of chillies (genus Capsicum) are distinct from pepper seeds and are not covered by the pepper-seed tariff heading; they are properly classifiable as vegetable seeds under Chapter 12 and are eligible for the benefit of notification No.17/2001-Cus., with Customs instructed to apply this classification and finalise pending assessments accordingly.

Export certificate issuance for frequent international travellers enables re-import duty exemption for personal electronic equipment.
Export certificates may be issued in advance at major customs, airports or seaports to certify that listed articles are personal private property not for sale and that drawback is not claimed. To obtain import duty exemption on re-importation the articles must remain in the ownership of the exporter or family, be brought back within three years, and the re-importing person must produce the certificate and obtain customs endorsement before every departure; a copy may be retained by the departing airport customs officer.

PFA Act testing exemption for imported food intended solely for export upon customs satisfaction and contractual undertaking.
If the Commissioner of Customs is satisfied that imported food items, after processing in EOUs or units in EPZ/SEZ, will be exported and none will be sold in the Domestic Tariff Area, he may allow clearance without mandatory testing under the PFA Act; an undertaking from the importing EOU/EPZ/SEZ unit that the imported food and any products manufactured therefrom will not be sold domestically should be obtained.

DEPB entry reorientation for EDI compatibility updates coding conventions while preserving existing DEPB descriptions, rates and value caps.
The Public Notice mandates formatting and coding changes to DEPB entries in Appendix 28A to achieve EDI compatibility-such as converting certain uppercase letter markers and suffixed numerals to lowercase-while expressly preserving the underlying DEPB product descriptions, DEPB rates and associated value caps.

Non-production of logged DEEC Book: covered period corrected to 31.3.2002 under Policy Circular, clarifying Public Notice scope.
Correction to a previous policy circular: the date listed under "Cases covered under Public Notice No.5 dated 6.4.1999" is amended to the intended terminal date, thereby clarifying the coverage period for cases concerning non-production of the logged DEEC Book and aligning the Public Notice's temporal scope.

Non-production of logged DEEC Book should not create defaulter status when export obligation is proved.
Where a duty free licence holder has produced all necessary documents evidencing completion of 100% export obligation (shipping bill, bank certificate of exports and realisation), non production of a duly logged DEEC Book attributable to Customs delay should not result in the licence holder being declared a defaulter; Regional Licensing Authorities are directed to apply this clarification and to investigate cases where non logging may be due to other causes.

Foreign direct investment in integrated townships subject to registration, upfront capitalisation and project completion milestones.
FDI up to full ownership is permitted for integrated township development provided the foreign investor registers as an Indian company, demonstrates core competence in township development, and obtains processing and clearance through the investment authority on recommendation of the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation. Investments must meet minimum area or dwelling-unit thresholds, upfront capitalisation requirements, a minimum lock-in period before repatriation, and completion milestones including at least half the project delivered within five years of first land possession, while complying with local land-use, development charges, planning norms and obligations to provide community and peripheral services; SEZ cases may receive conditional exemptions.

FDI cap in defence licensing allows limited foreign equity and requires licensing, Indian management and security controls.
Guidelines require licences from the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, for private production of arms and ammunition permitting private participation and FDI up to 26%. Applicants must be Indian entities with Indian management and majority board control; foreign collaborators and promoters are subject to government vetting. Licences set capacity norms, allow import of pre production equipment, mandate safety, security and quality assurance with inspection by a nominated agency, and impose a three year lock in on transfers of foreign equity. Production is primarily for defence and restricted for domestic sale and export.

Export liberalisation of cotton yarn removes prior quantitative and documentary export conditions, enabling unrestricted exports.
The entry for Code 5205 (Cotton Yarn) in Table B of Schedule 2 and the Appendix 1 entry at S.No.6 have been deleted, removing prior quantitative ceilings, certification requirements and hank yarn obligations; cotton yarn is now listed as Free for export under the ITC(HS) Classification, with the amendments effective from 1.1.2002.

Royalty on trademark and brand name permitted under automatic route; calculation tied to net sales after specified deductions.
Royalty for use of a foreign collaborator's trademark and brand name is payable under the automatic route and, where technology transfer occurs, is subsumed by the technology royalty. Royalty must be calculated as a percentage of net sales, with net sales defined as gross sales less agents'/dealers' commission, transport costs including ocean freight, insurance, duties, taxes and other charges, and the cost of raw materials, parts and components imported from the foreign licensor or its subsidiary/affiliate.

Buy Back of Securities disclosures require advance notice and immediate post-board meeting intimation to stock exchanges.
Companies must notify stock exchanges in advance of board meetings where a Buy Back of Securities proposal will be considered and must immediately intimate the exchanges about the board's decision on a buy-back after the meeting's closure; stock exchanges are to incorporate these Listing Agreement amendments with immediate effect.

Return of pre-deposit: simplified procedure permits written request plus appellate order and challan for prompt refund.
Pre-deposits made during appeals are to be treated as non-duty funds and returned when appeals succeed or matters are remanded. Formal refund applications need not be insisted upon: a simple letter from the depositor with an attested appellate order and an attested challan copy addressed to the concerned Assistant/Deputy Commissioner suffices. Pending refund applications will be treated likewise and bank guarantees executed in lieu of cash deposits shall also be returned. Field units must process claims promptly; delays leading to interest liability will be viewed strictly.

Storage of non-duty paid goods outside factory permitted in exceptional circumstances subject to adequate revenue safeguards.
The Board permits the facility of storage of non-duty paid goods outside factory premises in exceptional circumstances without payment of duty, subject to adequate revenue safeguards, and directs field formations to inform and implement appropriate conditions and controls to prevent trade hardship.

Fixation and modification of input-output norms: Handbook of Procedures updated to revise SION entries and add chemical and engineering items.
The Director General of Foreign Trade amends the Handbook of Procedures, Vol.2 by prescribing substitutions, corrections and additions to Standard Input Output Norms, including revised input lists and permitted quantities for numerous chemical and engineering export items, insertion of new entries in chemicals and engineering schedules, and textual corrections to product and import-item descriptions to govern allowable imported inputs relative to export outputs under the Export and Import Policy 1997-2002.