Departure manifest upload requirement: Airlines must upload passenger departure manifests and trade advised of compliance guidance.
Requirement for airlines to upload departure manifests is implemented by local customs via a public notice advising importers, clearing agents and the trading public to follow the enclosed circular for procedural guidance; the circular is available on the central customs website to assist compliance with the manifest-upload obligation.

Monitoring of export obligations: circular issues guidance for EPCG and Advance Authorization compliance and verification.
Monitoring of export obligations under the EPCG and Advance Authorization schemes is governed by a Department of Revenue circular providing procedural directions for verification and oversight. The circular offers guidance to importers, clearing agents and the trading public on demonstrating fulfilment of export obligations and is published on the official customs website for compliance and implementation.

Land Customs Station designation: Valmikinagar notified as a formal customs import/export clearance point for trade compliance guidance.
Amendment designates Land Customs Station status to Valmikinagar in West Champaran, Bihar by modifying the existing customs notification, thereby formalising an import/export clearance point; stakeholders are directed to Government of India Notification No. 50/2017-Customs (N.T) and to consult the central board of customs website for the authoritative text and guidance.

Rules of Origin amendment updates India-Chile PTA origin criteria; importers must apply revised customs notification for compliance.
Implements revisions to the Rules of Origin under the India-Chile PTA by notifying Notification No. 48/2017 Customs (N.T.), directing importers, clearing agents and the trading public to apply the amended origin criteria and related certification and compliance procedures in place of or in amendment to Customs Notification No. 84/2007 Customs.

Tariff value fixation for specified imports issued; importers should consult the official customs notification for guidance.
Fixation of tariff values has been effected for specified imported commodities - edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut, gold and silver - by a Department of Revenue customs notification. The notice is issued for guidance of importers, clearing agents and the trading public and directs stakeholders to consult the Government notification, which is available on the Central Board of Excise and Customs website.

Port handling amendment allows unloading of imports and loading of exports at Dharma Port, expanding authorised cargo operations.
Amendment permits unloading of imported goods and loading of export goods at Dharma Port, Odisha by Notification No. 44/2017 Customs (N.T.), adding the port to authorised locations for specified cargo handling and advising importers, clearing agents and the trading public to consult the official notification on the customs website for implementation and compliance.

Fixation of Tariff Value issued for specified imports, establishing tariff values and guidance for importers and clearing agents.
Fixation of tariff values effected by a customs notification applies to specified imported commodities, including edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut, gold and silver, and provides the valuation basis for customs duty assessment; the notification reference is circulated for guidance to importers, clearing agents and the trading public and is available on the official customs website.

Exemption for cut and polished diamond imports under Section 28A applies where authorised laboratory offices validate eligibility.
Exemption under Section 28A of the Customs Act applies to imports of cut and polished diamonds effected by authorised agencies/offices of the laboratories referenced in the Handbook of Procedure; the exemption is conditioned on validation by those authorised laboratory offices and is the subject of Notification No. 21/2017-Customs circulated for guidance to importers, clearing agents and the trading public.

Extension of compliance period for provisional mega power projects extends certificate and security validity under amended customs notification.
The amendment extends the timeframe for provisional mega power projects to furnish the final Mega Power Project certificate from 60 months to 120 months and increases the validity of security in the form of Fixed Deposit Receipt or Bank Guarantee from 66 months to 126 months, updating notification no. 12/2012 customs and communicated via Notification No. 20/2017 Customs for guidance to importers and agents.

Preferential tariff schedule expanded under India Chile PTA; amendment notifies new tariff preferences for eligible imports.
Amendment notifies an expanded schedule of tariff preferences under the India Chile Preferential Trade Agreement, updating which imported goods qualify for preferential customs treatment; the central government notification is provided to customs authorities and the trading public for guidance and compliance.

Tariff classification change affects Basic Customs Duty applicability on industrial grade palm stearin, prompting import compliance guidance.
Proposed amendment to notification No. 12/2012 to render effective the Basic Customs Duty rates for industrial grade palm stearin (crude, RBD or other) after its tariff reclassification, aligning duty application with legislative changes and directing importers and agents to Notification No. 18/2017 - Customs and the customs website for guidance on procedural implementation.

Amendment to Newsprint Control Order replaces a Schedule entry, updating the listed indigenous newsprint manufacturer.
Amendment to the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 replaces the Schedule entry against serial number 95 in item 4, substituting "M/s. Nav Bharat Duplex Limited" with "M/s. RAC Papers Limited," by Order dated 30 May 2017 issued under executive regulatory powers by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Green Debt Securities disclosure requirements: issuers must track and publicly report proceeds use and environmental impact.
Issuers of Green Debt Securities must disclose environmental objectives, decision making processes and eligibility criteria for financed projects, procedures for tracking deployment of proceeds, project descriptions or areas of utilization, and optional engagement of independent reviewers. Listed issuers must provide half yearly and annual disclosures on proceeds utilisation verified by an external auditor, details of unutilised funds, and annual lists of projects with qualitative and, where feasible, quantitative environmental impact measures, including methods and assumptions. Issuers must maintain continuing eligibility processes, ensure use of proceeds for stated green objectives, and disclose use of global standards if applied.

DPD container-specific examination orders streamline inspections, preserving DPD access subject to mandatory priority processing by importers and docks.
Assessing Groups will specify container numbers for examination in multi-container bills of entry of homogeneous goods under DPD facility not RMS-facilitated, using the commodity-specific examination percentage to determine the number (minimum one). Importers/customs brokers must present only those specified containers to CFS and to the Docks Customs Officer within 24 hours; docks will prioritize examination to enable final out-of-charge within 48 hours of IGM filing. Discovery of misdeclaration during specified-container examination triggers presentation of all remaining containers for inspection. CFSs must earmark a "DPD-examination" area. Waste paper importers follow the same procedure. The measure has immediate effect.

Indian Customs EDI system at Kelshi Port enables electronic filing and automated processing of import/export declarations.
ICES 1.5 is launched at Kelshi Port to enable electronic filing and automated processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills. Mandatory registrations (IE Code, Customs Broker, Shipping Lines, DGFT licences, bank accounts, digital signatures/ICEGATE) and use of prescribed codes are required. The system performs self assessment on B/E number generation, converts currency, calculates duties, routes cases to Appraising Groups, supports RMS facilitation, enforces bond/license debits and controls goods registration/out of charge until statutory payments and bond/BG/certificates are recorded. Export processes, drawback and licence ledgers are integrated with ICEGATE and Single Window interfaces.

Tax deduction at source exemption clarified: listed Section 10 entities need no TDS where income is unconditionally exempt and non-filing applies.
No tax deduction at source is required on payments to entities whose income is unconditionally exempt under Section 10 of the Income-tax Act and who are not statutorily required to file returns; the Board issues a revised list adding eligible entities and removing those whose exemption or non-filing status no longer applies, and clarifies that the circular supersedes earlier guidance.

Exemption from sample drawal extended to entry-level AEO certificate holders for drawback, subject to intelligence-based sampling.
Exemption from drawal of physical samples for grant of drawback is extended to holders of Authorized Economic Operator Tier I certificates, with the exemption subject to exception where specific information or intelligence necessitates sampling; administrative guidance via Public Notice and Standing Order is required and implementation issues must be reported to the Board.

Due date for transfer of shares to IEPF extended pending demat account opening; companies must complete prescribed formalities.
Companies must transfer shares to the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority where the seven year period is complete; for transfers completing within the period ending May 31, 2017 the due date was May 31, 2017. Because modalities for crediting shares to the Authority's demat account are being finalised and a special demat account is proposed, the transfer deadline is extended until a revised date is notified. Companies should complete all prescribed formalities and need not republish notices already issued due to this extension.

Indian Customs EDI (ICES 1.5) enables electronic filing and automated processing of import Bills of Entry and export Shipping Bills.
Launch of ICES 1.5 at Umroli (Bankot) Port enables electronic filing and automated online processing of import Bills of Entry and export Shipping Bills via ICEGATE or service centres. Mandatory pre requisites include registration of IE Codes, customs brokers, shipping lines and DGFT licences, standardized currency/port/country/unit codes, and bank account registration. The system integrates automated appraisal, RMS risk facilitation, concurrent audit, centralized bond and licence ledgers for export promotion schemes (DEPB, EPCG, etc.), and prescribes bond/licence registration, debiting, amendment, examination, duty payment and documentation procedures required for assessment, goods registration and out of charge.

Late filing charges waiver: centralised EDI Additional/Joint Commissioner to consider and dispose waiver requests promptly.
The Additional/Joint Commissioner in charge of EDI is designated as the proper officer to centrally consider waiver requests of late filing charges for all six JNCH Commissionerates; such requests must be disposed of the same day, recorded in a prescribed register (receipt date, BoE no. & date, importer name, amount waived, brief reasons, decision communication date), and difficulties reported to specified Appraising Main officers via provided contact channels.