Exchange rate update: customs notification substitutes South African rand import and export conversion rates under the Customs Act.
Amendment to customs exchange rate schedule substitutes the listed conversion rates for the South African rand for import and export valuation under the authority of the Customs Act, replacing the prior Schedule-I entry with distinct rates for imported and exported goods effective 1st June, 2019.

Exchange rate determination for customs conversion of specified foreign currencies into Indian rupees, effective from 17 May 2019.
Determination of the Rate of Exchange for conversion of specified foreign currencies into Indian currency for customs valuation of imported and exported goods; separate rates for imports and exports are prescribed in two annexed schedules and shall operate with effect from 17th May, 2019, superseding the earlier notification of May 2019 except as to prior actions.

Trade deficit widens as imports outpace exports, with services surplus partially offsetting the gap.
Overall trade performance in April 2019 records a widening external gap as combined merchandise and services transactions yield an increased overall trade deficit relative to the prior year, driven by faster import growth than export growth. Merchandise exports rose marginally while merchandise imports grew at a higher rate, enlarging the merchandise trade deficit. Service receipts for the latest available month show positive growth and contribute a surplus that partially offsets the merchandise deficit. All figures are provisional and subject to RBI revision.

APAR digitisation launched for Group B and C officers, streamlining appraisal submission and HR management online.
Launch of SPARROW-CBIC implements online writing of Annual Performance Appraisal Reports for Group B and C officers, with the Directorate General of Human Resource Management as the implementing agency, deployed across over four hundred CBIC formations and covering over forty-six thousand employees to standardise and streamline appraisal submission and support departmental digitisation and paperless working.

Trade facilitation and customs cooperation sharpened to secure cross-border trade and build regional capacity for modern enforcement.
The Conference reviewed regional initiatives to advance trade facilitation, secure cross-border trade, and enhance Customs cooperation across the Asia Pacific. Delegations and WCO regional bodies assessed progress on programmes, identified capacity and technical assistance needs, and discussed security measures, performance measurement, trusted trader frameworks, e-commerce challenges, and technological and logistical responses to support Customs operations.

SPS protocol enables export of Indian chilli meal to China, advancing bilateral agricultural market access and inspection standards.
A bilateral SPS Protocol was signed to permit export of Indian chilli meal to China, defining sanitary, phytosanitary and inspection conditions and addressing market access concerns as part of a series of commodity-specific India-China agricultural protocols that set export eligibility, inspection requirements and trade facilitation measures.

Customs regional cooperation promotes trade facilitation and security through capacity building, e commerce governance and trusted trader focus.
A multilateral meeting hosted by India as Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific region convened customs leaders and WCO regional bodies to coordinate implementation of WCO programmes focused on trade facilitation, cross-border e commerce, capacity building for small island economies, review of the Revised Kyoto Convention, trusted trader schemes, performance measurement, and security cooperation, supplemented by a Trade Day engaging industry and think-tanks to inform customs policy and operational priorities.

India-Africa trade strategy: diaspora-led proposals for finance, logistics, visa ease and rupee trade to deepen bilateral commerce.
The Commerce Ministry held a two-day Digital Video Conference with Indian business communities in eleven African countries to inform an India-Africa trade and investment strategy, noting Africa's market potential and India's existing trade share. Key operational proposals from the Diaspora include improving Line of Credit facilities, establishing Indian banking/financial institutions in Africa, enhancing Buyers' Credit, liberalising visa policies, instituting direct flights, exploring rupee trade, creating a buyer-supplier database, developing a trade dispute settlement mechanism, and increasing targeted trade exhibitions and institutional presence. The Department of Commerce pledged to share these suggestions with relevant stakeholders for incorporation into policy.