Status holder export entitlement now tied to average annual export realization; free supplies excluded from export incentives.
Status holders may export freely exportable items on a free of cost basis subject to categorywise annual limits measured as a percentage of average annual export realisation during the preceding three licensing years: a standard cap for most exporters, a lower-of amount or percentage cap for Gems and Jewellery and Articles of Gold and precious metals exporters, and an elevated cap for pharmaceutical supplies to international and government health programmes. Such free supplies are ineligible for Duty Drawback or any other export incentives.

Import policy of biofuels restricted to non fuel purposes on Actual User basis, replacing prior free import entitlement.
Import policy for specified biofuel products is amended from 'Free' to 'Restricted', permitting importation only for non fuel purposes under an Actual User condition; this applies to ethyl alcohol (denatured), petroleum oils/preparations containing biodiesel, and biodiesel mixtures, aligning import controls with the National bio fuel policy and requiring end use verification.

Canalisation of beach sand minerals now mandates export through the State Trading Enterprise Indian Rare Earths Limited under new policy.
Specified Beach Sand Minerals comprising Rare Earth compounds (ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, zircon, garnet, sillimanite and monazite) are canalised under State Trading Enterprise control and must be exported through Indian Rare Earths Limited, pursuant to a newly inserted entry in Chapter 26 of Schedule 2 of the ITC(HS) Classification. Other minerals in the chapter remain freely exportable except those notified as prescribed substances under the Atomic Energy Act.

Import restriction on petcoke: allowed only for cement, lime kiln, calcium and gasification industries on actual user basis.
Import of petroleum coke for fuel purposes is prohibited; imports are permitted only for cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries when used as feedstock or in the manufacturing process on an Actual User basis. Detailed guidelines for regulation and monitoring of such permitted imports will be issued by the environmental authority in consultation with customs and trade regulators.

Importer-Exporter Code requirement: IEC mandatory for imports and exports; services need IEC only when claiming policy benefits.
The amendment prescribes a fully online IEC application and issuance process: applicants file ANF forms online with required digital documents, use digital signatures for submission and modifications, and receive a computer-generated e-IEC on the DGFT website; procedural details are set out in the Handbook of Procedures.

Import policy change for urea: industrial and technical grades now free with actual user condition.
The DGFT amends the import policy for Urea under Chapter 31 to retain State Trading Enterprise listing while specifying that imports of industrial, non agricultural or technical grade Urea are "Free" for import subject to an Actual User Condition, thereby allowing such imports provided the Actual User requirement is met.

Courier and postal export value limit increased; MEIS entitlement now capped per consignment at higher threshold for rewards.
Paras 2.47 and 3.05 amend courier and postal export rules to set a per consignment value limit for exports through registered courier/post and to limit MEIS rewards to the prescribed per consignment FOB value; where FOB exceeds that cap, MEIS calculation is restricted to the capped FOB. The amendment removes port of export limitations for MEIS on courier/post shipments and calls for expedited EDI implementation at courier terminals.

Import policy for pepper: exemptions for Advance Authorisation, EOUs and SEZ units permit free imports subject to quality and reporting.
The amendment makes imports of pepper under Chapter 09 allowable where CIF exceeds the threshold and clarifies that MIP will not apply to imports under the Advance Authorisation Scheme, 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and SEZ units. It further grants a targeted AAS exemption for oleoresin extraction by manufacturer exporters, conditioned on minimum piperine content, ISO method laboratory testing for piperine and yield, and monthly reporting to the Spices Board of import, production, re export and stock/disposal details.

Arecanut import policy restricts low-value consignments; imports below valuation threshold prohibited while higher-value consignments allowed.
Amendment to the Import Policy for arecanut (Exim Code 0802 80) permits import only when CIF value is at or above Rs.251 per kilogram; imports with CIF below Rs.251 per kilogram are prohibited, superseding Notification No.35/2015-2020 and effected under powers of Section 3 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992.

Import prohibition on Oxytocin imposed, amending import policy entries to bar its import under relevant tariff headings.
The DGFT amended Schedule I (Import Policy) of the ITC (HS) 2017 to insert a policy condition rendering the import of Oxytocin "Prohibited" by changing the import policy entries for specified Exim Codes in the tariff chapters covering hormones, related derivatives and medicaments, thereby imposing a binding import restriction under the Foreign Trade Policy.

Import of new vehicles: Vishakhapatnam added to the list of authorized ports for vehicle imports under import policy.
The notification amends Import Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 87 (ITC(HS) Schedule 1) to add Vishakhapatnam port to the list of authorized seaports for the import of new vehicles, thereby revising the permitted Customs Ports list across seaports, airports and ICDs and increasing the total authorized ports/ICDs to sixteen.

Duty free entitlement expanded to include trimmings and components for footwear and other leather products.
Corrigendum to Notification No. 09/2015-20 amends para 1.41(iii)(b) to state that the duty free entitlement applies to import of trimmings, embellishments and footwear components for footwear (leather as well as synthetic) and other leather products, measured as a proportion of FOB value of exports of the previous financial year.

SCOMET amendment updates export controls for biological, chemical and dual-use technologies and revises glossary terms.
Amendment revises the SCOMET appendix to Schedule 2 of the ITC (HS) by reorganising Category 2 into subcategories 2A-2H for microorganisms, toxins and related technology/software; restating Category 3D as chemical and biomaterial manufacturing and handling equipment and related technology/software; reserving Category 5D; and substituting, deleting, or adding glossary definitions including cryptographic activation, compensation systems, ADC types, sample rate, steady state mode, military use, and RNSS.

Import policy liberalisation: fresh ginger wholly produced in Nepal permitted free entry subject to treaty origin terms.
The notification reclassifies fresh ginger under Exim Code 0910 11 10 from Restricted to Free for imports that are wholly produced in Nepal, subject to Articles IV and V of the Indo Nepal Treaty of Trade, thereby making origin the operative condition for duty neutral importation under the specified Exim Code.

Import restriction on peas extended under ITC(HS) import policy, covering yellow, green, dun and kaspa pea varieties.
Amendment to the ITC(HS) 2017 Schedule I import policy extends an existing restriction on imports of peas - including yellow peas, green peas, dun peas and kaspa peas - for a further three months, issued under powers of the Foreign Trade (D&R) Act and the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020.

Prohibition on import of milk and milk products from China extended, maintaining ban on dairy-containing chocolates and confectionery.
The prohibition on import of milk and milk products from China is extended for a further period of six months by amendment to the import policy under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act and the Foreign Trade Policy; the ban explicitly covers chocolates and chocolate products, candies, confectionery and food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient, and remains in force until the extended period expires or until further orders.

Separate DFIA issuance per SION clarified; single filing for EDI ports but separate applications required for each non EDI port.
The amendment requires a separate DFIA for each SION and prescribes that exports under DFIA may originate from any port listed in the Handbook of Procedures, with a single application for EDI ports but separate applications required for each non-EDI port.

Exemption of export restrictions: essential food commodities authorised for export to Maldives under bilateral allocation for 2018-19.
The Central Government authorised export of specified quantities of Potatoes, Onions, Rice, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Dal and Eggs to the Republic of Maldives for the 2018-19 period, effective April 2018, and exempted those exports from any existing or future restriction or prohibition during that period under the bilateral trade arrangement.

Natural rubber import policy now restricted to two sea ports; Advance Authorization exempted for specified imports.
Imports of natural rubber under Exim Code 4001 are permitted only through the sea ports of Chennai and Nhava Sheva, subject to a port restriction; that port restriction does not apply to consignments imported under Advance Authorization, which remain exempt from the port limitation.

DTA sales of services under specified GST headings remain governed by manufacturing rules; GST and compensation cess apply on clearance.
The amendment clarifies that while DTA sales by services and software units are broadly permissible up to fifty percent of FOB exports or foreign exchange earned, services classified under certain GST headings but treated as manufacturing of goods under licensing provisions will continue to be governed by the manufacturing-sale provision; applicable GST and compensation cess will apply at DTA clearance.