Digital Signature Certificate verification procedures ensure identity, premises and document checks before certificate issuance within prescribed timelines.
iCERT CA issues Class 3 Digital Signature Certificates to the CBEC trading community only after prescribed documentary and physical verification. Registration Authorities collect online enrolments, generate request-ids, receive specified originals and photocopies within 15 days, and coordinate with Verification Teams that visit declared premises, verify identity and documents, prepare digitally signed verification reports for the RA, and enable certificate issuance generally within ten days. Revocation and suspension follow prescribed email/web procedures with prompt suspension and revocation timelines.

Dematerialisation requirement: exchanges may move securities from Trade-for-Trade to rolling settlement if demat holdings and no other grounds.
SEBI permits shifting listed securities from the Trade for Trade Segment to rolling settlement where issuers have depository connectivity and at least fifty percent of non promoter holdings are dematerialised, evidenced by a certificate from the RTA or a practicing Company Secretary/Chartered Accountant if no RTA exists; exchanges must ensure no other grounds for TFTS continuation and report actions in the Monthly/Quarterly Development Report, Section II item no. 13.

Certificate of Origin authorization expanded: agencies issuing Preferential certificates may also issue Non Preferential certificates; list updated.
Agencies authorized to issue Preferential Certificate of Origin under the Handbook of Procedures (Volume I) are expressly authorized to issue Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin as well, by insertion into Paragraph 2.21.2, thereby aligning issuance powers for both certificate types.

Issuance of scrips against lost export documents requires duplicate proofs, affidavits, indemnity bonds and time limited claims.
Procedures permit issuance of duty-credit scrips under VKGUY/Focus Market/Focus Product schemes against lost Shipping Bills or original Bank Certificates upon submission of duplicates issued by Customs or the bank, payment of an application fee (waived for government agencies with proof), an exporter affidavit with an undertaking to surrender originals if found, and an indemnity bond indemnifying the Government; Customs must ensure no prior benefit was availed. Claims must be preferred within a prescribed limited period from release or realization, and concurrent loss of both documents requires following both procedures. The notice also amends a product description in Appendix-37A for tamarind products.

Minimum value addition requirements for jewellery exports updated, specifying categorised thresholds across jewellery and mechanised items.
Amendment to Paragraph 4A.2.1 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I), pursuant to Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy and referencing Paragraph 4A.6, prescribes category wise minimum value addition requirements for exports under the jewellery scheme: plain gold/platinum/silver jewellery and certain ornaments; all types of studded jewellery; jewellery manufactured by fully mechanised process; gold/silver/platinum medallions and non legal tender coins; and mechanised findings/mountings, each with specified minimum value addition rates.

SEBI FII amendment regulations published: foreign institutional investors and custodians notified to review and implement the changes.
The circular notifies Foreign Institutional Investors and custodians that a Gazette Notification amending the FII regulations has been issued, is enclosed with the circular, and is available on the regulator's website for recipients to consult and take necessary action to align operations and compliance with the amended provisions.

Amendment to Appendix updates authorised banking locations by adding a Central Bank of India branch entry under trade procedure authority.
Amendment adds an entry to Appendix-3 of the Handbook of Procedures (Volume I) under authority conferred by Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-09, inserting a Central Bank of India branch at Arhat Bazar, Dehra Dun with the specified contact number, thereby updating the prescribed banking locations referenced in Appendix-3.

EPCG Authorisation filing: amended form mandates turnover, unredeemed authorisation details and computed export obligation requirements.
Amendments revise the Aayaat Niryat Form to require applicants for EPCG Authorisation to disclose three-year turnover and export performance, details of unredeemed EPCG licences including CIF value, EO fixed in freely convertible currency, percentage of EO fulfilled, expiry dates, and whether imports were under the Technological Upgradation Scheme; the form also specifies calculation and recording of Export Obligation based on total duty saved, prescribed multiples and EO periods for specified categories, and requires the installation address for imported capital goods.

DTA sale eligibility: EOUs exporting through third parties remain eligible; DTA entitlement based on EOU supply price.
Goods manufactured in an Export Oriented Unit and directly transferred to the port of shipment, though exported through a third party exporter who realises foreign exchange, qualify as eligible exports for DTA sale benefits; such exports count toward the EOU's export obligation and the DTA sale entitlement is calculated on the price at which the EOU supplies the goods to the third party exporter, with shipping bills naming both manufacturer (showing EOU status) and third party.

Return of seized records: unrelied documents must be returned under proper receipt and clear collection procedure established.
Seized documents not relied upon in adjudication must be returned to the persons from whom they were seized under proper receipt. The Show Cause Notice should state that unrelied records may be collected within a defined collection period and must specify the designation and address of the officer responsible for returning the records.

PAN based registration requirement: CHAs must use PAN-based CHA IDs with branch extensions for filings and Service Centre submissions.
A Centralized CHA Directory requires CHAs to obtain or update PAN-based registrations from the policy/CHA section that issued their original license; CHAs with multiple registrations must retain one. A public ICEGATE portal provides PAN-based registration status, lists of unregistered and duplicate CHAs, and verification tools. From the effective date the PAN-based directory is mandatory: old CHA numbers will be disallowed and CHAs must use their PAN-based 15-digit registration number with the relevant branch extension when filing documents or at Service Centres.

Overseas investment compliance: regulated financial entities must meet Regulation 7 conditions and obtain commodity trading clearance.
Regulated Indian financial sector entities investing overseas in any activity must comply with the additional conditions in Regulation 7 of the relevant FEMA Transfer or Issue of Foreign Security Regulations; overseas trading in commodities exchanges and related JV/WOS arrangements are treated as financial services activity requiring Forward Markets Commission clearance, while unregulated domestic financial entities may invest abroad in non financial activities subject to Regulation 6.

Dissemination of information to media: centralised Media Center requires weekly electronic submission to the official spokesperson for release.
A Media Center in the Central Board of Direct Taxes is established to disseminate information of public value via the official Spokesperson. All information of public importance must be sent by e mail to the Spokesperson/Media Center by the weekly submission deadline; non compliance will be viewed seriously. The designated contact e mail address is supplied for mandatory submissions.

Export warehousing eligibility expanded to include Two Star Export Houses and above, aligning rules with Foreign Trade Policy.
Amendment clarifies eligibility for Export Warehousing under sub rule (2) of Rule 20 of the Central Excise Rules read with Notification No. 46/2001 CE(NT), aligning the circular with the Foreign Trade Policy, 2004 09 by specifying exporters accorded Two Star Export House status and above, foreign departmental stores of repute, and automobile manufacturers with a Memorandum of Understanding as eligible to establish export warehouses.

Defacement of buyer details allowed in shipping bills to protect confidentiality while permitting export scheme processing if otherwise compliant.
Defacement of buyer name and address on shipping bills is authorised to prevent leakage of confidential information; Regional Authorities shall accept and process such defaced shipping bills and related documents for claiming benefits under export promotion schemes provided the applications are otherwise complete and in order.

Customs area designation: Triway CFS authorised for supervised handling and clearance of import FCL and export cargo.
The premises of M/s Triway Container Freight Station Pvt. Ltd., New Napalayam, Chennai are declared a Customs Area for Customs examination, clearance and sealing of import FCL cargo moved from Chennai Port Trust and for stuffing/loading and sealing of export cargo under Customs supervision, excluding import LCL cargo and passengers' unaccompanied baggage. The site specifications, demarcated LCL consolidation area, required segregation of LCL and FCL, provision of Lock Fast Facility for sensitive cargo, and compliance with specified Public Notices and Board circulars are mandated. Effective from 01.09.2006.

Standard Input-Output Norms amended to update permitted import inputs and quantities against specified export products under trade policy.
Amendment to the Handbook of Procedures (Vol.2) revises the Standard Input Output Norms by adding, deleting and altering SION entries, modifying permitted import items and quantities against specified export products across Chemicals, Electronics, Engineering, Plastics, Food, Textiles and Miscellaneous categories, and by introducing procedural notes on pro-rata adjustments, calorific conversions for fuels, content-based alloying formulas and Actual User conditions.

DEPB schedule amendment updates export description for blood bags, replacing specific wording to harmonise classification.
An amendment to the Schedule of DEPB rates replaces the Sr. No. 125 export description in the Plastics product group (Product Code 63) from "Double Blood Bag with Tubing" to "Blood Bags," updating the nomenclature used for that export item under the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures.

Amendments to Appendix 37D update handicrafts and value added fish product classifications and delete two prior handicraft entries.
Corrections to Appendix 37D amend Sl. No. C to specify hand woven carpet classifications under product codes 5702 and 5703 and delete Sl. Nos. 37 and 38; Sl. No. E is amended to list IQF raw consumer pack fish items (shrimp, squid, cuttlefish) with respective ITC codes 50, 55 and 59, promulgated by Public Notice No. 48/2006 under Paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-2009.

Amendment to trade procedures updates jurisdictional assignments and contact details for regional trade offices and SEZ administration.
Amendments to Appendix-I of the Handbook of Procedures revise Serial No. 18 to designate the Joint Director of Foreign Trade office at Rajkot with contact details and territorial coverage for Kutch, Saurashtra and Diu; and revise Serial No. 35 to record the Development Commissioner at Kandla SEZ contact details and territorial jurisdiction covering units in Kandla and Surat SEZs and approved EOU/SEZs in Gujarat.