Trade facilitation through customs modernization enhances ease of doing business via technology-driven efficiency and compliance.
Trade facilitation through customs modernization is emphasised as central to improving Ease of Doing Business, with CBIC credited for performance in the Trading Across Borders parameter. The Board is aligning initiatives with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Action Plan while promoting technology for efficiency, transparency and accountability. Concurrent enforcement priorities include risk management and preventive measures against smuggling of environmentally sensitive items. Awards and certificates were presented to CBIC officers to recognise meritorious service supporting facilitation, compliance, analytics and capacity-building.

Agri Export Policy cluster designation advances potato export compliance, focusing on traceability, pest free area production and quality training.
Notification of a Agri Export Policy potato cluster in Agra triggers cluster development through stakeholder meetings, field assessments and a Cluster Level Committee chaired by the District Magistrate. APEDA will conduct workshops, BSMs and training on quality production, traceability and judicious pesticide use to meet importing-country requirements such as production from pest free areas and to address identified supply-chain gaps.

Laboratory recognition simplified: NABL accredited labs to be automatically recognised, expanding testing access for agri exporters.
APEDA expanded its recognised testing network to 186 laboratories and adopted a simplification policy whereby NABL accredited laboratories will be recognised and added to APEDA's network, enabling broader geographic coverage and easier access for exporters to testing of APEDA scheduled products.

Trade remedy investigations accelerated, shortening initiation and finding timelines and expanding anti-circumvention and safeguard measures.
Directorate General of Trade Remedies initiated multiple anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard investigations while reducing average time for initiation and final findings, introduced anti-circumvention measures and simplified rules, and launched administrative reforms-outreach, a help desk and the ARTIS online portal-to enhance transparency, stakeholder access and expedited processing of trade remedy applications.

Trade Balance shows narrowing overall deficit as merchandise gap shrinks and services surplus helps offset shortfall.
Merchandise exports in December 2019 and for April-December 2019-20 recorded slight declines while imports contracted more substantially, notably in oil and non oil categories, producing a narrower merchandise deficit; services receipts (latest RBI November data and December estimations) showed growth and a positive services balance that, when combined with merchandise, yield an estimated narrowing of the overall April-December trade deficit.

No imports without HSN code: import clearance tied to standardized classification to enforce product quality compliance.
No imports will be permitted without a valid HSN code, and the Government adopts a policy of zero tolerance for substandard products and services, committing to support industry to meet international quality standards. The new Bureau of Indian Standards Act and related institutional measures will recalibrate standards to balance consumer and industry interests, prevent production or import of substandard items, and urge standard-setting bodies to work in mission mode to upgrade and harmonize standards for global acceptance.

SEZ policy reform expands unit eligibility and relaxes operational rules to ease exporter compliance and services participation
Implemented SEZ reforms revise NFE computation exclusions, allow sharing of duty exempt assets between units with approval, formalize de notification of enclaves, broaden services definitions to enable servicification of manufacturing, permit trusts to establish SEZ units, and delegate powers to the Development Commissioner for intra zone unit shifts while counting DTA service supplies toward NFE and allowing lease flexibility aligned with state policies.

Access to credit for SMEs: faster loan processing and credit insurance to support manufacturing growth.
The Minister instructed SIDBI and CGTMSE to create a framework for faster loan processing to SMEs and to provide insurance cover for SME exporters, while addressing delayed payments by large buyers and GST refund and wage disparities; the GeM was directed to onboard and handhold women-led SMEs and the Ministry committed support for skilling and quality improvement to enhance export competitiveness.

Agri Export Policy implementation expands: APEDA mobilises state action plans, clusters, FPO portal and market intelligence reports.
Implementation of the Agri Export Policy is advanced through state-level action plans, designated nodal agencies, state monitoring committees, cluster development roadmaps and cluster-level committees for key commodities. APEDA has established a Farmer Connect Portal to link FPOs/FPCs with exporters, entered an MoU with the National Cooperative Development Corporation to involve cooperatives, organized Buyer-Seller Meets, and set up a Market Intelligence Cell to disseminate e-market intelligence reports to assist export planning.

Exchange rate determination establishes dual import and export conversion rates for customs valuation and compliance.
Determines statutory rate of exchange for specified foreign currencies for customs purposes, effective 3 January 2020, superseding the prior notification; Annexed schedules set separate conversion figures for imported and exported goods, including per unit and per 100 unit rates, thereby establishing the applicable dual rates for customs valuation and related calculations.

Trade cooperation fosters institutional engagements and agreements to expand India-Africa market access and sectoral collaboration.
Promotion of India-Africa trade is pursued through institutional mechanisms-Joint Commission Meetings, Joint Trade Committees and Joint Working Groups-addressing market access, recognition of pharmacopoeia, non tariff barriers, sectoral collaboration across goods and services, and investment facilitation. Negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement with Mauritius are reported near finalisation. Complementary measures include a Phase II cotton technical assistance programme, a regional trade conclave and a higher education and skill development summit to enhance Indian business participation, capacity building and project export opportunities.