Merger control: acquisition creates joint control over Adani Gas under competition law; formal order to follow.
The Competition Commission approved a transaction under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 whereby Total Holdings SAS acquires a substantial minority stake and joint control in Adani Gas Limited. Total is an integrated energy group with upstream and downstream gas activities and exports natural gas to India; Adani Gas operates wholesale and downstream city gas distribution networks supplying industrial, commercial, domestic and automotive customers. A detailed order will follow.

Infrastructure investment spurs exhibition revamp and trade promotion via PPPs and festivals to boost market engagement.
The government is allocating substantial funds to revamp Pragati Maidan to expand exhibitor space, increase visitor capacity, and enhance the visitor experience as part of a broader infrastructure push aimed at catalysing business engagement and signalling market potential.

SEZ amendment expands entities allowed to establish units and eases operational facilities to boost export investment and jobs.
Legislative reform via the Special Economic Zone (Amendment) Bill expands entities permitted to set up SEZ units and allows employee amenities; financial measures include capital infusion into the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation and grant support to the National Export Insurance Account to bolster export credit and insurance; sectoral and procedural steps comprise an Agriculture Export Policy with implementation outlay, a digital platform for electronic Certificates of Origin, IGST relief and bond discharge facilitation for gem and jewellery exporters, and a dedicated Division for integrated logistics development.

Services export promotion: GES showcases India's service sector to attract investment, partnerships and boost international services trade.
GES 2019 serves as a platform to promote India's services sector internationally by showcasing 12 Champion Services Sectors, facilitating public-private engagement, targeted B2B/B2G/B2C meetings and ministry and state pavilions to attract investment, partnerships and increased trade in services across strategic areas such as aviation and space, infrastructure, telecom, financial management, content and media distribution, outsourcing, intellectual property management and environmental/social impact assessment. SEPC coordinates sector promotion, including initiatives for eSports, an International Moot Court on intellectual property and facilitative measures like liberalized e visa categories and airport immigration desks.

Steel import monitoring requires compulsory pre-arrival registration for specified iron and steel imports, with online advance submission.
Specified iron and steel tariff lines have been changed to free subject to compulsory registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS), obliging importers to submit advance arrival information online to obtain an automatic registration number, and to record only that registration number and its expiry date in the Bill of Entry; registration is applied for within a pre-arrival window and has limited validity.

Organic food regulation requires recognized certification and compliant labelling to substantiate organic claims in the market.
FSSAI requires organic foods in domestic trade and imports to comply with notified domestic standards and to be certified under recognized systems such as NPOP or PGS, with producers also meeting FSSAI labelling requirements; these certification and labelling obligations form the regulatory mechanism for organic claims under the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.

Export promotion measures expanded under policy reforms to strengthen incentives, infrastructure and credit support for exporters.
The statement affirms the existence of an Export Development Fund in Exim Bank under the Export Import Bank of India Act, 1981, and summarizes government export promotion measures: the Foreign Trade Policy with MEIS and SEIS (transferable duty credit scrips), a mid term FTP incentive increase for labour intensive/MSME sectors, creation of a Logistics Division, an Interest Equalization Scheme for rupee export credit, the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, an Agriculture Export Policy, Transport and Marketing Assistance for certain agricultural exports, and a rebate scheme for state and central taxes on garments and made ups.

Exchange rate determination under Customs Act notifies distinct import and export conversion rates for customs valuation and compliance.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, exercising powers under section 14 of the Customs Act, notifies official conversion rates for specified foreign currencies into Indian rupees, with distinct figures for imported and exported goods, superseding the prior notification and taking effect from the stated operative date; two annexed schedules set the applicable per unit or per specified unit rates to be used in customs valuation and related assessment processes.

Export restrictions on agricultural products limited to essential commodities under high-level review; processed and organic goods exempt.
The December 2018 Agriculture Export Policy establishes that processed agricultural products and all organic products shall be exempt from export restrictions, while commodities identified as essential for food security will face export restraints only under extreme price situations and upon recommendation of a high-level committee, implemented in a WTO-compatible manner; the Committee of Secretaries' mandate has been expanded to recommend such restricted measures. A targeted onion export ban was imposed from 29 September 2019.

Zero-rating of exports preserves exporter competitiveness, complemented by duty-exemption schemes refunding input taxes for exported goods.
Exports are zero-rated under GST to preserve exporter competitiveness. The Foreign Trade Policy implements two duty exemption mechanisms-the Advance Authorization Scheme and the Duty Free Import Authorization Scheme-which either exempt inputs from duties at import or provide post-export refunds/drawbacks, and are stated to comply with India's international commitments.

Trade agreements shape investment access and integration; integrated trade and investment policy recommended over siloed approaches.
The Journal focuses on how trade agreements influence investment access and integration and urges an integrated trade and investment policy approach rather than siloed decision making. Core topics include regional trade agreements, India's stance on electronic commerce, development flexibilities such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and use of import restrictive measures in agriculture during domestic gluts. Contributors recommend that choosing defensive or offensive trade policies follow assessment of a country's trade and export profile and domestic sensibilities.

Customs cooperation advancing regional trade facilitation through technology, capacity building and Customs Single Window implementation.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs convened the 29th Regional Contact Points meeting to advance WCO standards and regional harmonisation of cross border procedures. The meeting focused on enhancing communication, technology adoption, an inclusive consensus approach, enforcement cooperation and capacity building. Programmatic priorities included Performance Measurement, Security and Enforcement, Inter Agency Cooperation for Trade Facilitation, Customs Single Window, Small Island Economies, Disruptive Technologies and cruise ship border clearances, with participation from WCO regional bodies, international organisations and private sector experts to present best practices and capacity building results.

Defence export liberalisation streamlines authorisations and online licensing, simplifying approvals and enabling broader parts and components exports.
The Department of Defence Production has been designated the licensing authority for Category 6 of SCOMET with a revised SOP and an end-to-end online portal for digitally signed applications; the SOP addresses repeat orders, intra-company transfers, End User Certificate formats, extended authorisation validity, and re-export for repair, while an Open General Export License permits pre-approved exports without separate authorisation and MHA delegated small arms parts licensing to DDP, making it a single point of contact.

Kimberley Process certification: validated certificates and tamper proof transport required to prevent trade in conflict diamonds.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme requires that each cross border shipment of rough diamonds be transported in a tamper proof container and accompanied by a validated Kimberley Process Certificate, and that uncertified shipments are not permitted to enter participant countries; trade in rough diamonds is limited to co participant countries under the Scheme.

Trade deficit narrows as imports fall and services exports grow, based on provisional RBI-derived estimates.
Overall trade shows a reduced combined trade deficit for April-October 2019-20 driven by a pronounced contraction in merchandise imports and modest export performance. Oil import reductions, linked to lower global Brent prices, and declines in non-oil and non-gold imports underlie the import fall. Services receipts grew in the latest available data, producing a positive net services surplus. Aggregate figures rely on provisional RBI estimates for services, with October values estimated and subject to revision on future RBI releases.

Agricultural export promotion expands market linkages through an international buyer seller meet in Arunachal Pradesh, fostering export development.
APEDA and the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Agriculture & Horticulture organised the first International Buyer Seller Meet to create direct B2B and B2G market linkages for North Eastern agricultural and horticultural products, expose international buyers to regional produce and production capacity, and promote export development through supportive measures such as pack house and cold storage infrastructure and exhibition assistance.

Statutory regulation of Virginia tobacco recognized for sustainability and market-transparency initiatives improving cultivation practices.
The Tobacco Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, implemented sustainability and market-transparency measures in Flue-Cured Virginia tobacco cultivation, including Good Agricultural Practices, natural and organic farming promotion, 365-days green cover, advanced nursery technologies, elimination of non-tobacco material and pesticide residues, energy conservation, development of greenery with growers and trade, and an electronic auction system to facilitate sales and improve transparency.

Trade as catalyst for development: BRICS urged to tackle non-tariff barriers and lead WTO reform while boosting MSME cooperation.
BRICS should prioritise trade as a catalyst for development and protect MSME market access from rising protectionism and non-tariff barriers. A Memorandum of Understanding among BRICS Trade and Investment Promotion Agencies establishes a framework for collaboration to promote trade, market studies and harmonise trade facilitation. Members were urged to build digital infrastructure and skills, curb predatory e commerce practices under domestic law, and lead WTO reform efforts that preserve Special And Differential Treatment and consensus-based decision making to sustain a rules-based multilateral trading system.

Service export incentives drive GES showcase, linking SEIS Duty Credit Scrips and liberalised e visa measures to grow services trade.
India will use the Global Exhibition on Services to promote trade and investment in 12 champion services sectors through B2B, B2G and B2C engagements, targeted initiatives such as an international eSports Nations Cup and a moot court on intellectual property, and supporting measures including liberalised e visa categories and incentives under the Service Exports from India Scheme via transferable Duty Credit Scrips with a zero GST rate on their sale.

Customs enforcement and trade facilitation: new IRS(C&CE) officers to administer GST while balancing enforcement, adjudication and revenue integrity.
Graduating IRS (Customs & Central Excise) officers are tasked with administering GST and Customs functions, enforcing laws at borders, protecting economic frontiers, and balancing law enforcement with trade facilitation; they must adjudicate indirect tax matters conscientiously and collect revenue with integrity.