Tariff amendment: bars and rods of free cutting steel granted ad valorem concession under customs notification.
The notification amends a prior customs exemption by omitting specified figures against an existing entry and inserting a new Sl. No. 7A identifying tariff headings 7213.20, 7214.30 and 7215.10 for "Bars and rods of free cutting steel" with an ad valorem concession of 70% ad valorem.

Customs exemption for X-ray cameras limits import duty to an ad valorem ceiling, subject to a non manufacture certificate at clearance.
Exemption applies to X-ray cameras for diagnostic and surgical use, removing customs duty in excess of a prescribed ad valorem ceiling and exempting the additional duty, conditional on production at clearance of a certificate from an authorised industrial technical adviser confirming the goods are not manufactured in India.

Duty on depreciated capital goods: permission to remove used Zone assets after compliance with policy on payment of duty.
Where the Kandla Free Trade Zone Board has authorised withdrawal or disposal of capital goods outside the Zone in accordance with the Import-Export Policy, and the capital goods have been used within the Zone for at least three years, the Collector of Customs may permit their clearance to any place in India on payment of duty calculated on the capital goods' depreciated value at the time of clearance and at the rates prevailing on import.

Auxiliary duty notification amendment: new exemption entry inserted into customs notification schedule under statutory powers.
Central Government amends the Schedule to Notification No. 188 Customs by inserting a new serial entry referencing an auxiliary duty notification, exercising powers under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 read with the Finance Bill provision operating under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act; the insertion follows existing serial number 271 and lists the additional notification within the exemption Schedule.

Customs duty exemption for solar selective coating sheets granted for manufacture, subject to Director-level certification and prescribed conditions.
Exemption is granted for black continuously plated solar selective coating sheets, in cut lengths or coils, imported for manufacture of solar energy equipment, covering full customs and additional duties; exemption is conditional on certification and recommendation by a Director level officer in the Department of Non conventional Energy Sources and is time limited to the period specified in the notification.

Customs exemption amendment: substitution of the designated authority administering trawler component exemptions under the notification.
The Central Government amends Notification No. 247/84-Customs by substituting the previously named authority in conditions (1) and (2) with a different administrative body, thereby changing the designated authority responsible for administering the exemption for components and equipments for manufacture of trawlers under the existing notification.

Customs exemption scope expanded to include rock drilling bit parts, broadening applicability of existing notification.
Amendment substitutes the description of exempted goods in Notification No. 65/86-Customs so that the phrase "rock drilling bits" is replaced by "rock drilling bits and parts thereof", thereby extending the notification's exemption to include parts of the specified goods.

Designation of authority: Additional Secretary named to administer additional duty on dumped articles under Customs Tariff rules.
Appointment of the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce as the designated authority under sub rule (1) of rule 3 of the Customs Tariff Rules, 1985, empowering that officer to carry out identification, assessment and collection of additional duty on dumped or bounty fed articles and to determine injury under the Rules.

Designated authority appointment under customs anti-dumping rules assigns administrative responsibility for identification, assessment and collection under those rules.
The Central Government, exercising the power conferred by sub rule (1) of rule 3 of the Customs Tariff (Additional Duty on Dumped Articles) Rules, 1985, appoints the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce as the designated authority for purposes of identification, assessment and collection of duty or additional duty on dumped articles and for determination of injury under those rules.

Customs exemption amendment substitutes Schedule entries to list specified drug intermediates, altering qualifying items under the customs notification.
The Central Government, under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 and in the public interest, amends Notification No. 57/85 Customs by substituting Schedule Sl. Nos. 9, 10 and 13 with the specific drug intermediates Para Hydroxy Phenyl Glycine, Cyanopyrazine and DL Oxyphene Hydrochloride, respectively, thereby modifying the list of items entitled to the notification's exemption treatment.

Appointment of Customs authority: Director-General vested with Commissioner of Customs powers nationwide.
The Central Government designates the Director General as Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, conferring the powers and status of a Commissioner of Customs for administration and enforcement, and specifying that the Director General's jurisdiction extends throughout India.

Amendment to customs exemption schedule inserts a new entry under delegated finance powers.
The Government, exercising powers under the Customs Act and a Finance Bill provision given effect by the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, amends Notification No. 188/86-Customs by inserting, in its Schedule immediately after Sl. No. 270, a new Sl. No. and entry citing a separate customs notification, thus adding that notification to the Schedule of exemptions.

Duty exemption for grape guard allows duty-free import when used for packing grapes, exempting customs and additional duties.
The Central Government exempts grape guard, classified within Chapter 48 of the Customs Tariff, from the whole of customs duty and the whole of the additional duty leviable under the Customs Tariff Act when imported for use in the packing of grapes; "grape guard" is defined as two sheets of treated white paper pressed together with thin rectangular pouches containing sodium metasulphate with kraft paper pasted thereto, used to prevent fungal decay and prolong fresh storage.

Project imports registration requirement ensures goods under the project heading are assessed and cleared only against registered contracts before clearance.
Project Imports Regulations, 1986 require that goods under the project imports tariff heading be assessed and cleared only when imported against specific contracts registered with the proper customs officer prior to clearance. The importer must apply in writing at the port of import, provide plant location, description of articles, installed or designed capacity (and proposed additions for substantial expansion), the original contract and supporting licences or approvals, after which the proper officer records registration, assigns a number, and returns unneeded originals.

Exemption scope for raw and synthetic rubber amended to broaden covered materials while excluding styrene butadiene rubber.
Amendment revises the exemption to cover factice derived from oils, reclaimed rubber, waste and scrap of unhardened rubber, falling within Chapter 40, replacing the earlier narrower wording; it also inserts an express exclusion stating the notification does not apply to styrene butadiene rubber and oil extended styrene butadiene rubber.

Customs tariff amendment alters duty classification and imposes different ad valorem rates on optical and related parts.
The Central Government amends a customs notification under the Customs Act, 1962 by omitting tariff figure 9026.90 from one entry, substituting a 60% ad valorem duty in that entry, and inserting a new entry 6A that applies tariff 9026.90 to all parts and accessories of optical, photographic, medical and surgical goods, excluding parts containing thermionic valves, transistors, similar semiconductor devices, light emitting diodes, or electronic micro-circuits, with a 40% ad valorem duty.

Warehousing station designation enables export-oriented unit establishment in Taloja under customs exemption notification powers.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, exercising powers under the Customs Act, declares the MIDC area Taloja in Raigad District a warehousing station to facilitate the setting up of hundred per cent export-oriented units through a miscellaneous customs exemption notification.

Appointment of customs commissioner: Director designated to assume concurrent commissioner duties for multiple major ports.
Under statutory authority the Central Government designates a Director in the Central Board of Excise and Customs to assume additional responsibilities as Commissioner of Customs for multiple major ports, effecting an administrative appointment and delegation of commissioner functions by assigning concurrent duties to a Board officer.

Customs exemption extension for computer peripheral devices prolongs applicability for supplies to research institutions.
Amendment replaces the expiry date in paragraph 2 of the miscellaneous exemption notification so as to extend the customs exemption period for computer peripheral devices intended for manufacture of computer systems to be supplied to research institutions, without changing the substantive scope or eligibility of the original notification.

Customs exemption extension for scientific imports extends validity for non-commercial research institutions' import relief under Customs Act
The Central Government amends Notification No. 70/81-Customs by substituting the figures, letters and words denoting the earlier expiry with those denoting the extended expiry in paragraph 2, thereby extending the period of the miscellaneous exemption for scientific and technical instruments imported by non-commercial research institutions under powers conferred by the Customs Act.