Tariff concessions increased for specified imports from Malaysia under IMCECA, amending prior customs notification and taking effect.
This notification revises column (4) tariff entries in the Table to Notification No. 53/2011 Customs for Sl. Nos. 84, 85, 87, 129, 130, 133, 134 and 136, substituting enhanced concessionary rates for specified goods imported from Malaysia under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, and provides that these amendments take effect from the 1st day of January, 2018.

Tariff concessions under India ASEAN FTA expanded, substituting the customs tariff table to provide deeper preferential import duties.
Amends Notification No.46/2011 Customs by substituting the existing Table with a comprehensive Table listing HS headings and product descriptions with specified concessional import duty treatments for goods originating from ASEAN under the India ASEAN Free Trade Agreement; the amendment sets out preferential rates, sub heading specific carve outs and exceptions, and takes effect from 1 January 2018.

Common adjudicating authority appointment enables designated officers to adjudicate specified customs show cause notices under the Customs Act.
Appointment of a common adjudicating authority to exercise adjudicatory powers over specified show cause notices; the Director General, Revenue Intelligence designates officers to discharge the duties and exercise the powers of the named adjudicating authorities for the noticees and notices listed in the Table, identifying original adjudicating authorities and the officers appointed to act in their stead.

Tariff value fixation: revised benchmark import values set for specified commodities to guide customs valuation and assessment.
The Central Board, invoking sub-section (2) of section 14 of the Customs Act, substitutes TABLE-1, TABLE-2 and TABLE-3 of Notification No. 36/2001-Customs (N.T.) with updated tariff values for specified goods. The substituted tables set benchmark tariff values for listed descriptions-including edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut, and specified gold and silver entries-stated in US dollars per metric tonne or per unit, to be applied for customs valuation and assessment.

Amendment of Notification Effective Dates: customs notifications' commencement dates deferred by administrative substitution of dates.
Central Board of Excise and Customs directs amendments to three Customs (N.T.) notifications by substituting the figures, letters and word in paragraph 2 of each principal notification to defer their prescribed commencement dates, relying on the powers under section 4(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, and noting prior Gazette publications and earlier amendments.

Tariff concessions under India Korea CEPA increased by substituting revised rates for specified tariff entries, effective thereafter.
Amendment substitutes revised entries in column (4) of the Table in Notification No.152/2009 Customs for numerous listed serial numbers to implement deeper tariff concessions for specified goods imported from Korea under the India Korea CEPA; the Central Government exercises its powers under the Customs Act to make these substitutions and brings the changes into force from the notified commencement date.

Concessional customs duty rate for specified gearboxes under IJCEPA deepened, applying from the notified effective date.
Amends Notification No. 69/2011 Customs by substituting the entry in column (4) at S. No. 746 with the concessional basic customs duty rate "6.88" for tariff item 8708 40 00 (gear box and parts thereof) when imported under the India Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement; the amendment is made under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 and shall take effect from 1 January 2018.

Customs tariff amendment narrows pulse exemption to exclude chickpeas and lentils, altering import duty scope.
The Central Government amends Notification No.50/2017-Customs by substituting, at Table serial number 20, the column (3) entry with "Pulses [other than Tur, Chickpeas or Masoor (Lentils)]", exercising powers under the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff Act and invoking public interest as the basis for the change.

Anti-dumping duty extension on Phthalic Anhydride to continue until specified expiry under Customs Tariff Act.
Extension of anti-dumping duty on Phthalic Anhydride from Korea RP, Chinese Taipei and Israel is effected by amending Notification No. 58/2012-Customs (ADD). Following a subsection (5) review under section 9A and rule 23, the Central Government inserted a paragraph providing that the notification shall remain in force up to and inclusive of a specified expiry date, unless revoked earlier, thereby continuing the anti-dumping duty regime in accordance with statutory review and extension procedures.

Exchange rate determination under Customs law sets specified import and export currency conversion rates for customs purposes.
Determination under section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 fixes official conversion rates of specified foreign currencies into Indian rupees for customs purposes, with separate rates for imported goods and export goods as set out in two annexed schedules, effective from 22nd December, 2017, and superseding the prior exchange-rate notification except as to past actions.

Safeguard investigation into solar cell imports initiated after prima facie finding of serious injury to domestic industry.
Initiation of a safeguard investigation into imports of photovoltaic "Solar Cells whether or not assembled in modules or panels" is ordered after applicants representing a major proportion of domestic production submitted data for 2014 15 to 2017 18 (annualised). Record evidence shows significant increases in imports alongside declining domestic market share, under utilised capacity, reduced employment (excluding one entrant), loss-making domestic sales and rising inventories. On a prima facie basis the authority finds increased imports have caused or threaten to cause serious injury and has initiated a formal investigation, inviting submissions within thirty days and offering a public non confidential file.

Exchange rate amendment for South African Rand updates customs valuation for imports and exports from the notified effective date.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs has amended Schedule I of Notification No.113/2017 CUSTOMS (N.T.) to substitute the serial entry for South African Rand, prescribing revised rupee equivalents for one unit of that foreign currency to be used for customs valuation of imported and exported goods, with effect from the notified effective date.

Fixation of tariff values: prescribed import valuation benchmarks for edible oils, metals, scrap and select agricultural commodities.
The Central Board of Excise & Customs, exercising statutory authority, amends the principal tariff value notification by substituting tables that fix tariff values in US dollars for specified imported goods, including edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut, and distinct per unit values for gold and silver where certain notification benefits are claimed, thereby establishing valuation benchmarks for customs assessment and import compliance.

Customs tariff amendment increases basic customs duty on specified electronics and lighting goods while excluding certain subcategories.
The amendment amends the exemption notification to omit one serial, substitute a duty rate for an existing entry, and insert new serial entries that apply specified Basic Customs Duty percentages to tariff headings while expressly excluding designated subcategories (Digital Video Recorder/Network Video Recorder; CCTV Camera/IP camera; Smart Meter; LED lamps). The changes are made under powers conferred by the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff Act and are framed as further amendments to the principal notification.

Import tariff increase on specified electronic goods under Customs Tariff Act, raising duties for listed electronic headings.
Increase of import duty on specified electronic goods by exercising the power under Section 8A(1) of the Customs Tariff Act, effecting amendments to the First Schedule by substituting revised entries in column (4) for listed tariff items and specified sub headings across the chapters covering electrical machinery, instruments and furniture/lighting, so as to alter the basic customs duty rates for those goods.

Customs amendment expands designated enforcement sections, adding Section 108B and assigning Section 108A to DRI headquarters.
The notification amends the Table in the principal customs notification by inserting Section 108B as an additional item against serial number four and by adding a new serial eight designating the Principal Additional Director General or Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (Headquarters), as the officer for Section 108A, effected under clause (34) of section 2 of the Customs Act, 1962.

Banks must report foreign exchange transactions electronically to the designated receiving authority per new customs rules.
A banking company must electronically furnish details of all foreign exchange transactions as specified in Annexure-I to the designated receiving authority; the information must be verified and signed by the authorised person. An Information-Administrator may specify the format, mandatory fields, periodicity, procedures, data structures, and security, and until modalities are prescribed the information may be furnished through a secure electronic medium.

Exchange Rate Determination under Customs Act sets distinct import and export currency rates as notified.
The Board fixes distinct conversion rates for specified foreign currencies into Indian rupees for import and export goods, effective 8th December, 2017, superseding the earlier notification; two schedules prescribe per currency rates (unitary and per 100 units) with separate figures for imported and export goods, and the instrument notes an amendment to the South African Rand entry and later supersession.

Fixation of Tariff Value amends customs tariff values for edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut, gold and silver.
The Central Board of Excise & Customs, under section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962, substitutes TABLE-1, TABLE-2 and TABLE-3 in Notification No. 36/2001-Customs (N.T.), prescribing tariff values for specified imported goods. The amendment sets US dollar unit tariff values per metric tonne for edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds and areca nut, and per unit values for gold and silver where specified entry benefits are availed, for application in import valuation and customs assessment.

Corrigendum to customs notification removes the phrase 'unloading of imported goods', amending the prior notification text.
Corrigendum to Notification No. 100/2017-Customs (N.T.) removes the phrase "Unloading of imported goods and" from the operative text of the earlier notification published as G.S.R. 1347(E), effected by G.S.R. 1465(E) to correct the Gazette text.