Transitional arrangements disapplied for pulse exports where irrevocable Letters of Credit were opened on or after 22 June 2006.
The Government amended Notification No.15 to provide that the transitional arrangements in the Foreign Trade Policy shall not apply to exports of pulses against irrevocable Letters of Credit opened on or after 22.6.2006, because the Government's prohibition on pulse exports was announced and widely publicised on that date.

Export prohibition on sugar imposed until fiscal year end, subject to limited exceptions, licence extensions and conditional releases.
The Government amends the ITC HS export classifications to prohibit sugar exports until the end of the financial year, making sugar Prohibited for export unless specifically permitted by DGFT; preferential quota sugar to EU and USA is permitted through the Indian Sugar Exim Corporation subject to quantitative ceilings, exports to Bhutan and Maldives are excluded, transitional LC arrangements after the public announcement are inapplicable, and advance licence obligations and Release Orders receive specified extensions and exceptions.

Export prohibition on pulses extended to end of financial year under Foreign Trade Act powers by DGFT notification.
The Central Government, invoking the Foreign Trade Act and provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy, amends a prior notification to extend the export prohibition on pulses so that the period of effect reads "till the end of the financial year (i.e. upto 31.3.2007)" in place of the earlier six month wording; the amendment is issued in the public interest and published as Notification No.17/2006.

Import liberalisation for durum and other wheat: imports permitted freely during the abeyance period under FTP amendment.
Amendment to Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC (HS) Classification places Exim Codes 10011090 (Durum Wheat: Other) and 10019020 (Other Wheat) in abeyance, permitting the importation of those items freely for the notified abeyance period; the change is effected under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act and the FTP and is stated to be in the public interest.

Export prohibition on pulses extended with exemptions for kabuli chana and certified organic pulses subject to APEDA conditions.
A prohibition on the export of specified pulses has been enacted by inserting multiple pulse tariff entries into the ITC(HS) Schedule with an export policy of "Prohibited." The ban covers named pulse sub headings and generally disallows export, while exempting exports to Bhutan, certain permitted exports to Sri Lanka, and kabuli chana. Limited annual exports of organic pulses are permitted subject to APEDA certification, APEDA contract registration, a fixed annual quantity cap, and shipment only through Customs EDI ports; additional narrow humanitarian and bilateral exemptions are recorded.

Export condition relaxation for Red Sanders logs permits limited auctioned log exports for a restricted period under amended ITC classification.
The Central Government amends the ITC (HS) Schedule by substituting S. No.154(a) of Chapter 44 and relaxes the condition against that entry to permit export of specified A, B, C and D grades of Red Sanders wood in log form obtained from the Government of Andhra Pradesh through auction, authorized for a limited period commencing 22.06.2006, issued in public interest under the Foreign Trade Policy.

Intermediate supply benefits for suppliers under advance authorisation and related instruments now recognised under the trade policy.
The notification amends the Foreign Trade Policy to allow suppliers of intermediate goods to be issued Advance Authorisation/DFRC/DFIA when supplies are made against such pre-export authorisations, and to entitle suppliers to the Policy benefits where supplies are made against an Advance Release Order or a back-to-back letter of credit issued under Advance Authorisation/DFIA, subject to applicability of the listed benefits.

Duty free credit scrip permitted for excise payment; enables use of export scrip for domestic input procurement under FTP.
Utilization of duty free credit scrip for payment of excise duty is permitted for procurement from domestic sources of inputs that are permitted for import under the Served From India Scheme, in terms of notifications issued by the Department of Revenue.

EPCG restrictions on vehicle imports: tourism-sector eligibility tightened with earnings, duty saved limits and registration requirements.
The notification restricts EPCG imports of motor cars and SUVs to specified tourism-sector entities meeting a minimum total foreign exchange earnings threshold over the current and preceding three licensing years, prohibits import of vehicle parts under the scheme, caps the duty saved amount on vehicle authorisations at fifty percent of the average foreign exchange earnings in the preceding three licensing years, and requires vehicles to be registered for tourist use with registration certificates submitted to the Licensing Authority.

Import conditions for generator sets now require compliance with air emission and noise standards under Environment Protection Rules.
Import of generator sets is now conditioned by addition of Condition 20 to Chapter 1A, requiring that imported generator sets conform to air emission and noise standards prescribed under the Environment Protection Rules, 1986, as notified, and incorporated by amendment to Schedule I of the ITC (HS) Classification of Export and Import Items.

EDI Shipments entitlement expanded to cover all exports routed through Customs EDI enabled ports under FTP amendment.
Entitlement under the scheme shall be granted to all shipments that are exported through Customs EDI enabled ports; this is inserted as paragraph 3.9.6 in the annual supplement of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-2009.

Export entitlement under Target Plus Scheme requires minimum 20% incremental growth and grants 5% entitlement.
Entitlement under the Target Plus Scheme is contingent on a minimum 20% incremental growth in FOB value of exports in the current licensing year over the previous licensing year, and the entitlement rate is 5% of that incremental growth; the prior table of entitlements is deleted and the amendment applies from the commencement of the stated licensing year.

Import standards for fish lipid oil set; imports allowed subject to prescribed quality specifications and licensing conditions.
Import policy amended to allow free import of Fish Lipid Oil (Exim code 15042020) subject to a new Import Licensing Note requiring compliance with prescribed quality standards, including limits on free fatty acids, moisture and peroxide value and a minimum combined content of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid; imports are governed by the licensing regime and the amendment is issued under the statutory foreign trade authority in the public interest.

Export Licensing amendments: manufacturers deleted, renamed and added under Export Licensing Note one affecting fertilizer manufacturer lists.
Amendments to the lists of fertilizer manufacturers under Export Licensing Note 1, Chapter 31 Schedule 2 ITC(HS): five companies deleted from the B list of DAP manufacturers; Indogulf Corporation Ltd. renamed to Hindalco Industries Limited (unit: Birla Copper); Hind Lever Chemical Limited renamed to Tata Chemicals Limited (Phosphate Business Division); and FACT, Cochin and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertiliser Company Limited added to the NP/NPK manufacturers list, issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade in the public interest.

Export control: Beneficiated chrome ore fines/concentrates now restricted to export through designated agency MMTC under policy.
Entry at Sl. No. 83 of Schedule 2 Table B is amended to list tariff items 26100030 and 16100040 as "Beneficiated chrome ore fines/concentrates (maximum feed grade to be less than 42% Cr2O3)" (kg); export policy classified as STE and the nature of restriction requires export through MMTC Limited, effective immediately under powers of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 read with the Foreign Trade Policy.

Import policy abeyance suspends application of Condition No. 18 in the ITC(HS) import schedule temporarily.
The notification places Condition No. 18 in Chapter 1A (General Notes) of Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC(HS) Classification in abeyance for a limited period, amending the operative import schedule under powers granted by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act and the Foreign Trade Policy framework.

Export quantity limits revised for construction aggregates: annual caps specified for stone aggregate and river sand under FTP.
Amendment to Schedule 2 (Export Policy) of the ITC(HS) under the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09 inserts an export licensing note fixing annual export quantity caps for the 2006-2007 financial year for Stone Aggregate and River Sand, thereby modifying the export licensing regime in Chapter 25 to authorize specific annual exportable volumes for those commodities.

Import policy amendments tighten licensing and exemptions for vehicles, GMOs, ODS products, sandalwood, blood, boric acid and aircraft.
Amendments to Schedule I (Imports) revise licensing notes and import policies: Chapter 87 exempts imports of new vehicles for certification, defence and R&D (R&D vehicles unregistered and not for road use; land locked origin shipments treated as exported from manufacture country with tracking); Sandal Wood imports made restricted under a new Chapter 44 licensing note; ODS containing products require DGFT licensing under ODS Rules; GMO/LMO and genetically modified food/feed imports require GEAC/RCGM approvals and declaration on consignments; metallic waste governed by Handbook provisions; human blood imports allowed for individual diagnostic/therapeutic use with ICMR referral for biomedical imports; boric acid for non insecticidal use requires Central Insecticide Board permit; aircraft import exemptions extended to listed entities, others need DGFT licence; certain vehicle and aircraft rubber articles are restricted.

Foreign Trade Policy notification incorporates Annual Supplement and takes effect, updating export-import regulatory provisions.
Notifies Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-2009 under statutory notification power, incorporating the Annual Supplement updated on 7 April 2006, and declares the policy effective from 1 April 2006; issued by the office responsible for foreign trade administration.

Export carton labelling requirement mandates product name, origin, APEDA plant registration and exporter details on meat exports.
The amendment inserts Note 7 into Chapter 2 of Table B of Schedule 2 of the ITC(HS), mandating that cartons for exported meat must compulsorily show the name of the product, country of origin, APEDA plant registration number and name of the exporter, thereby creating a binding labelling and identification requirement for meat export consignments.