Exemption to Singapore-origin goods: government lowers qualifying percentage thresholds for import exemptions under Customs Act.
Central Government directs targeted amendments to two exemption notifications for goods of Singapore origin by substituting the preambular percentage thresholds in Notification No. 74/2005-Customs and Notification No. 75/2005-Customs with lower figures, thereby changing the qualifying threshold for the specified import exemptions; the notification identifies the instruments amended and records prior publication and amendment history.

Anti-dumping duty continuation on Sodium hydrosulphite extended pending review, maintaining existing measures under the Customs Tariff Act.
Continuation of anti-dumping duty on Sodium hydrosulphite from Germany and Korea RP is extended pending review; the Central Government amended the earlier notification under the Customs Tariff Act and anti-dumping rules to insert a paragraph keeping the duty in force until the specified terminal date unless revoked earlier, thereby preserving the existing measure while the review proceeds.

Anti dumping duty continuation on Vitamin E extended pending review to maintain measure until further notice.
The Central Government, exercising powers under section 9A (sub sections (1) and (5)) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and rule 23 of the relevant Rules, amends Notification No. 145/2003 CUSTOMS to insert a paragraph preserving the anti dumping duty on Vitamin E acetate originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China, expressly providing that the notification remains in force until a specified future date unless revoked earlier, pending completion of the designated authority's review.

Special export controls on codeine-containing drug formulations restrict cross-border export in designated border areas to prevent illegal trafficking.
The Central Government, invoking Section 11 I of the Customs Act, 1962, specifies drug formulations containing Codeine or its salts as goods subject to special measures to check illegal export and facilitate detection in the Indo Bangladesh land border areas of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, in terms of Notification No. 31/2008 Customs (N.T.).

Customs duty amendments: revised tariff entries set specified duties and insert new edible goods classifications.
Amendment alters Notification No. 21/2002-Customs by inserting new tariff entries and substituting existing entries to change duty treatment for specified HS headings, including a new entry for Butter and ghee, revised duty descriptions (Nil or specified duty levels) for multiple serial numbers, and separate treatment for crude/edible and refined/edible grades of certain vegetable fat and oil headings, effected under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Customs exemption continuation: expiry replaced with indefinite "until further orders" to keep DEPB imports exempt pending revocation.
Amendment removes the fixed expiry in paragraph 2 of Notification No. 89/2005-Customs concerning exemption for goods imported under the Duty Entitlement Pass Book scheme, substituting the words "until further orders" for the prior calendar termination, thereby continuing the exemption indefinitely until expressly revoked or replaced under powers conferred by the Customs Act.

Inland Container Depot designation added permitting unloading of imports and loading of exports at Madho Singh location.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, under section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 12/1997 by inserting item (xii) at serial number 12 to designate "Madho Singh (Near Railway Station), District Sant Ravi Das Nagar" as an Inland Container Depot/land customs entry for the unloading of imported goods and the loading of export goods.

Jurisdiction reallocation: amendment pairs Pune, Goa and Belgaon offices to redefine customs review committee responsibility.
The Board amends Notification No. 40/2005 Customs (N.T.) by substituting the Table entry at Sl. No. 25 to reallocate review jurisdiction: Commissioner of Customs, Pune paired with Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Goa; Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Goa paired with Commissioner of Customs, Pune; and Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Belgaon paired with Commissioner of Central Excise, Goa and Commissioner of Central Excise (Appeals), Goa.

Anti-dumping duty on caustic soda continued to offset dumping, set against a US dollar reference price per metric ton.
Continued anti-dumping duty on Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) from Qatar is imposed as the difference between a reference price of US$349.69 per metric ton and the landed value of imports, with landed value defined as assessable value plus 1% handling charge and applicable basic customs duty and exchange rate as notified; the measure addresses substantial dumping margins, likelihood of recurrence, identifies M/s Qatar Vinyl Corporation as producer for the Qatar entry, excludes imports originating in countries already subject to anti-dumping duty, and is effective for five years from Gazette publication.

Exchange rate determination under Customs Act sets official conversion rates for import and export valuation and procedure.
Determination of official exchange rates under section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 prescribing separate conversion rates for imports and exports, effective from 1 April 2008, with Schedule I listing per-unit rates for major currencies and Schedule II listing the rate for Japanese Yen per 100 units, and superseding earlier notifications.

Continuation of anti-dumping duty extended for Sodium Hydroxide from specified jurisdictions pending completion of a statutory review
Continuation of anti-dumping duty on Sodium Hydroxide originating in, or exported from, the European Union (excluding France), Indonesia and Chinese Taipei is extended pending completion of a statutory review. The Central Government, invoking the authority conferred by the Customs Tariff Act and applicable Customs Tariff rules following a request from the designated authority, amends the principal notification to provide that the notification shall remain in force up to and inclusive of the specified extension date unless revoked earlier.

Specified Area designation extends customs vulnerability zone along the India-Bangladesh land border across multiple northeastern states under the Customs Act.
The Central Government designates an inland zone adjacent to India's land border with Bangladesh as a specified area due to vulnerability to smuggling, covering territory within West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Notification No.31/2008 Customs (N.T.) dated 25 March 2008 implements the statutory designation under the Customs Act and cross refers to a separate notification identifying the specified goods subject to the enhanced controls applicable in that zone.

Anti-dumping duty amendments update named exporters and producers for PVC imports, changing listed entities subject to duty.
Amendments substitute specified company names in columns (7) and (8) of the TABLE to Notification No. 11/2008-Customs, updating the named exporters and producers subject to anti-dumping duty on Homopolymer of vinyl chloride monomer (PVC) suspension grade, while preserving the statutory basis and procedural framework for the levy.

Reduction in customs duty: tariff rates for rice and edible oils amended, new entries and effective changes notified.
The government amends notification No.21/2002 to insert a new clause making goods at the new serial No.22AB subject to tariff treatment from a stated future date, inserts a nil-duty entry for the rice heading, revises duty entries for S.No.30, S.Nos.36A, 36B and 434, and adds serials 37A and 37B for edible-grade oil headings with specified duty treatments; the notification is effective from 21 March 2008.

Determination of Origin rules renamed under Customs Tariff Act; substitution formalises title for India Singapore CECA.
Central Government, under section 5(1) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, substitutes sub rule (1) of rule 1 in Notification No. 59/2005 Customs (N.T.) to designate the instrument as the Customs Tariff Determination of Origin of Goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of India and Republic of Singapore Rules, 2005.

Exchange rate notification updates foreign currency conversion for imports and exports, adjusting Swiss franc and Japanese yen rates.
Amends the prior customs exchange rate notification by substituting schedule entries that revise the rupee conversion rates for the Swiss franc (distinct import and export rates) and the Japanese yen (rates expressed per one hundred units), thereby changing the official conversion bases used for customs valuation and related compliance calculations, effective from the stated date and issued under the customs authority's statutory powers.

Customs notification amendment extends applicability for defence programme imports, changing effective date and supply coverage.
The amendment substitutes the Explanation to the Table entry against S.No.29 in Notification No.39/96-Customs, extending the applicable date to continue concessional treatment for machinery, equipment, instruments, components, spares, jigs and fixtures, dies, tools, accessories, computer software, raw materials and consumables required for the SAMYUKTA Programme, under the authority of section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Tariff value fixation updates substitute prior notification and revise tariff values for brass scrap and poppy seeds.
Amendment to notification No.36/2001 under the exercise of powers conferred by Section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962: the Central Board substitutes the existing tariff-value Table with a revised Table fixing US dollar per metric tonne tariff values, retaining prior values for various oils and updating tariff values for Brass Scrap (all grades) and Poppy seeds as the operative schedule for customs valuation.

Land customs route amendment authorizes a new road crossing for import and export with neighboring country.
Amendment substitutes the entries for serial number 5 (relating to Myanmar) in the Table of Notification No.63/94 Customs (NT), replacing columns (3) and (4) against item (1) to specify the Zokhawthar road route from Champai to Zokhawthar as an authorised land customs route for import and export, effected under the powers of clauses (b) and (c) of section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962 by Notification No.27/2008.

Anti-dumping duty extension on Hexamine maintained pending review, continuing import restrictions under Customs Tariff Act powers.
The Government amends the notification imposing anti-dumping duty on Hexamine from Iran to insert a clause extending the notification's operation pending review. Pursuant to review provisions of the Customs Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Rules, the notification is continued in force up to and inclusive of 16 March 2009 unless revoked earlier, thereby maintaining the temporal application of the duty while statutory review proceedings are pending.