Excise duty exemption for POS devices lowers costs and exempts related inputs and customs duties until end-March 2017.
Exemption from Central Excise Duty has been granted for Point of Sale (POS) devices and for all goods required in their manufacture, with the effect that these items are also exempt from consequent CVD and SAD charges; the relief is time-limited and implemented by Notification No.35/2016-Central Excise.

Export support measures for gems and jewellery enhance industry capacity through regulatory codes and financial assistance.
To strengthen the gems and jewellery sector and support exports, the Government implemented regulatory and promotional measures: establishment of a Special Notified Zone; assignment of a separate HS Code for lab-grown diamonds; introduction of the Gold Monetisation Scheme; approval of Common Facility Centres; and provision of financial assistance for trade promotion under Market Development Assistance and Market Access Initiative schemes.

Export incentive scheme expanded to broader product coverage and simplified compliance, with transferable duty credit scrips for services.
The Merchandise Exports from India Scheme has expanded product coverage to 7,914 eight digit HS items and now applies to all destination countries, with proof of landing dispensed to streamline compliance; MEIS incentives remain tiered and no increase is proposed due to fully allocated fiscal resources. The Service Exports from India Scheme, effective 1 April 2015, awards transferable duty credit scrips to notified service providers based on net foreign exchange earnings, usable against central duties including basic customs duty, and covers nine broad service sectors.

Single Window Interface streamlines integrated declarations and enables risk-based agency inspections for imported food products.
The Single Window Interface permits filing of an Integrated Declaration replacing multiple agency forms and pairs with an Integrated Risk Management facility so partner agencies select consignments for examination and testing on a risk basis. Complementary measures for food imports include a Risk Management System to reduce sampling, notification of draft import regulations, expanded designation of accredited and referral laboratories with random referral through the Food Import Clearance System, issuance of Provisional NOCs for short shelf-life items, guidance on re-sampling and cleaning in bonded warehouses, single sampling of commingled cargo, labelling exemptions for certain packaged primary foods, and shared microbiological testing parameters.

Export incentive schemes expand market coverage and provide duty concessions and credit support to boost exports.
The policy framework advances export growth through MEIS incentives across expanded tariff lines and sectors with extended market coverage, SEIS rewards for notified service exporters, and an Interest Equalization Scheme to lower export finance costs. Trade facilitation measures reduce mandatory documents and enable online filings and payments. Duty free input and capital goods access is provided via Advance Authorization, DFIA, EPCG and drawback/refund mechanisms. Niryat Bandhu offers mentoring and facilitation for new and MSME exporters.

Special Economic Zones notification expands export and investment focus in Uttar Pradesh with reported employment gains.
Nineteen SEZs have been notified in Uttar Pradesh in addition to the Noida and Moradabad SEZs, with an annexure listing land allotments and proposed activities. The SEZ regime aims to promote exports, attract domestic and foreign investment, generate economic activity and create employment. As of 30 September 2016, reported cumulative investment in these SEZs is Rs. 14,465 crore, reported direct employment is 113,705 persons and reported exports are Rs. 10,570 crore; this information was provided in a written parliamentary reply.

Paperless customs clearance enabled, removing routine physical submissions and allowing system-to-system electronic document exchange for trade.
Discontinuation of routine physical printouts for customs clearance in favour of paper-free electronic clearance: GAR 7/TR6 challans, trans-shipment permits and exchange control/export promotion copies of Shipping Bills and Bills of Entry need not be physically submitted where electronic payment evidence and secure electronic transmission to ICEGATE, EDPMS and IDPMS exist, removing documentary requirements for banks, DGFT and ports.

Transhipment and transit rules require electronic manifests and bonds with bank guarantees for secure coastal and foreign-route cargo movement.
The draft regulations require electronic filing of prescribed arrival and departure manifests categorising cargo into home clearance, domestic and foreign transshipment, transit, export and coastal goods, with manual filing only if electronic means are unavailable. Transshipment through foreign territory requires manifest inclusion and execution of a prescribed bond, generally secured by a bank guarantee whose value is tied to notional container duty/value, with allocation of bond/guarantee responsibility among rail operators, custodians or container liners depending on routing. Registrations for declarants are required, subject to suspension, revocation and penalties for non-compliance.

Leather sector incentives promote modernization, export support, duty reliefs and automatic route FDI to boost industry competitiveness.
The leather sector promotion package centers on the Indian Leather Development Programme, funding skill development, unit modernization and expansion, design and market linkages, environmental infrastructure upgrades and new institutional branches. Complementary commerce measures supply capital and marketing assistance, infrastructure grants, import and excise concessions, duty free input provisions linked to prior exports, export scrips and duty drawback, interest equalization for MSME export credit, and permission for FDI automatic route, all intended to boost competitiveness, environmental compliance and market access.

Valuation of the rupee tied to trade balance; FTA-driven trade composition shifts are relevant but not determinative.
FTA implementation correlated with increased imports of raw materials, intermediate and capital goods and higher exports of intermediate and capital goods, reflecting domestic value addition and a plausible positive effect on employment; valuation of the rupee remains contingent on multiple factors, including the balance of trade, so trade composition changes under FTAs are relevant but not determinative.

Demonetization impact on exports prompts review, urging formal banking adoption and requests for increased cash withdrawal limits.
Demonetization's impact on export-sector liquidity caused short-term operational disruptions, notably cash salary payment difficulties for contract labourers in labour-intensive Councils. The Commerce Ministry will compile a report for the Finance Ministry proposing remedial measures, urging adoption of a formal banking system for employees and seeking relaxation of cash withdrawal limits to address immediate cash flow constraints.

Ban on plastic waste imports bars hazardous and substandard plastics, applying domestic environmental and safety standards to imports.
Plastic waste is designated as a prohibited hazardous item under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, and imports of such plastic waste are banned from all countries; domestic laws, technical specifications and standards, including BIS and food-safety requirements for edible items, apply to imports mutatis mutandis, and a Standards Committee on Plastics has been formed to prevent substandard, toxic, or hazardous plastics entering the country.

Trade engagement with neighbouring countries increases export and import shares while government supports exporters through MAI and MDA.
The Government reports bilateral trade figures with neighbouring countries and records an increased share of India's exports and imports with SAARC partners. It proactively engages in bilateral and multilateral discussions to resolve trade issues, coordinates upgradation of Land Customs Stations to improve trade infrastructure, and extends support to exporters and trade bodies through the Market Access Initiative and Market Development Assistance schemes to enhance cross-border trade.

Tariff concessions under regional trade agreements preserve sensitive lists and permit anti dumping and safeguards for domestic industry protection.
Tariff concessions under the fourth round of APTA grant margin of preference to specified tariff lines including sensitive items such as railway locomotives, nuclear plant components and aircraft; the Union Cabinet approved the exchange for implementation at the next Ministerial Council. Free trade agreements preserve sensitive/negative lists to limit concessions on protected items and retain remedial measures including anti dumping and safeguards to address import surges and injury to domestic industry.

Revenue insurance scheme introduced to protect plantation crop producers, including cardamom, from yield and price volatility.
Spices Board administers an Export Oriented Production, Export Development & Promotion of Spices scheme providing subsidies and assistance for planting material, replanting, new plantings, irrigation, curing, mechanization and related production measures; it also supports Spice Parks, processing technology upgrades, quality evaluation labs, certification, and farmer training in post-harvest quality and Good Agricultural Practices.

Free trade agreements expand trade and supply-chain efficiency while requiring feasibility studies before negotiations proceed.
Implementation of Free Trade Agreements has correlated with a significant expansion of trade, aided by higher imports of inputs that improve domestic production and support exports; FTAs also open opportunities for agricultural and processed-product exports for MSMEs. Prior to negotiations, India undertakes internal studies and Joint Study Group assessments to evaluate feasibility and domestic industry impacts, and uses those findings to guide negotiation mandates and expectations about economic effects.

Minimum Support Price increase plus targeted bonuses incentivise pulses and oilseeds cultivation and strengthen procurement and price support.
Increase in Minimum Support Price for Rabi crops and payment of bonuses above MSPs for Gram, Masur, Rapeseed/Mustard and Safflower to incentivise cultivation; FCI designated as central nodal agency for price support operations with cooperative and public-sector agencies to supplement procurement; complemented by subsidised crop insurance, an electronic trading platform, soil health card distribution, irrigation efficiency and other measures to raise farmer incomes and stabilise pulses and oilseeds markets.

Indirect tax collection growth signals stronger revenue realisation, with substantial progress toward budgeted estimates this fiscal year.
Indirect tax collections for April-October 2016 show year on year growth and progress against the fiscal year budget: net indirect tax receipts aggregated to Rs. 4.85 lakh crore up to October 2016 (26.7% increase) and achieved 62.4% of the Budget Estimates for FY 2016-17. Componentwise, Central Excise grew 45.4%, Service Tax 26.9%, and Customs 4.1%, reflecting varied sectoral contributions to aggregate indirect tax performance.

Export credit insurance crucial to sustaining export flows and securing exporters against trade finance risk in global markets.
ECGC provides export credit insurance and guarantees that mitigate lender and buyer credit risks at pre shipment and post shipment stages, underwriting short term trade credit for the bulk of India's merchandise exports and maintaining credit lines to buyers in developed markets to sustain export flows and lending relationships during market stress.

Exchange Rate Determination under Customs Act fixes notified conversion rates for import and export goods, superseding earlier notification.
Determination of exchange rates under the Customs Act fixes binding rupee conversion figures for specified foreign currencies to be applied separately to imported and exported goods, superseding the earlier notification and listing the operative import and export rates in two Schedules for use in customs valuation and related procedures.