<h1>Excise Duty Changes: Peak Rate Cut to 14%, New Rules for Retail Prices, and Adjustments for Export Units.</h1> The central excise duty peak rate has been reduced from 16% to 14%, with exceptions, effective March 1, 2008. Excise duty adjustments include increases for packaged software and decreases or exemptions for certain products. Duty on Domestic Tariff Area clearance for Export Oriented Units has increased from 25% to 50%. The SSI exemption now covers plastic strips for weaving. Exemptions for goods supplied to the UN are limited to actual use. Changes in the scope of deemed manufacturing and adjustments in tariff values for certain goods were also introduced. New rules for determining retail sale prices of excisable goods have been established.