Reduction of countervailing duty rates alters excise-linked effective duty structure and amends specified tariff entries.
Amendment reduces effective countervailing duty rates by omitting clause (ha) from the proviso and substituting revised entries in the Table of Notification No. 21/2002-Customs for specified serial numbers, thereby altering the duty entries applicable to listed tariff items and corresponding multi-entry rows.

Customs exemption amendment: Krishnapatnam added alongside Haldia in multiple notifications, expanding port references in exemption text.
Notification No.19/2009 amends multiple Customs miscellaneous exemption notifications by substituting the words "and Haldia (Haldia Dock complex of Kolkata port)" with "Haldia (Haldia Dock complex of Kolkata port) and Krishnapatnam" in the opening paragraphs or specified conditions of the listed principal notifications, thereby adding Krishnapatnam as an additional port referenced within those exemption provisions under the power conferred by section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Customs exemption update: adds pharmaceutical sample import allowance and permits limited spare parts imports per year.
Amendments to Notification No. 52/2003-Customs insert an ANNEXURE-I entry permitting import of pharmaceutical samples in retail packs repacked from bulk exports for retention or stability testing under statutory requirements, and substitute the ANNEXURE-V entry to permit import of spare parts up to a capped value relative to specified goods in each financial year, thereby refining exemption scope for export-oriented and special processing units.

Duty free import authorisation conditions revised: bonds, use-certificates and duty consequences govern post-clearance compliance.
Amendments to conditions for imports under a Duty Free Import Authorisation require a bond with surety or security where imports occur before export obligations are discharged, obliging payment of duty with interest if conditions are not met. For imports after discharge, availing rebate or CENVAT credit requires a bond to use materials in manufacture and a six-month certificate of use; transfers or transferred authorisations may require payment of additional duty with interest unless duty is paid at clearance, in which case CENVAT credit may be claimed. Proof of not availing rebate or CENVAT may permit clearance without the bond.

Advance licence validity tied to self-declaration filing and matching input quality for export manufacture compliance.
Authorizations based on self-declaration where Standard Input Output Norms are not fixed are valid for import of inputs for manufacture of export products only if the authorization holder proves to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs that an Aayat Niryat form application with specified documents has been submitted in terms of paragraph 4.7 of the Hand Book of Procedure (Volume I) before the first shipment; inputs in paragraph 4.24A(a)(i) must be of the same quality, technical characteristics and specifications as used in the exported resultant product and the exporter must declare those technical characteristics, quality and specifications in the shipping bill.

Import restriction list updated: customs exemptions now exclude items set out in the Handbook of Procedure appendix.
Amendments replace references to a policy paragraph with references to Appendix 37B of the Hand Book of Procedure, Volume I, expressly excluding items listed in that appendix from customs exemption benefits; they also remove the phrase "which are freely importable" from specified notifications and substitute condition (8) in certain notifications to deny benefits to items in Appendix 37B.

Duty credit scrip exemption permits zero customs duty on imports under Hi-tech Product Export Promotion Scheme, subject to specified conditions.
Exempts imports from customs duty and specified additional duty when goods are imported against a duty credit scrip issued under the Hi tech Product Export Promotion Scheme, subject to conditions: applicability only to listed hi tech products, presentation of the scrip at clearance with sufficient balance, free transferability of scrip and goods, use of specified ports/airports/ICDs/land customs stations or notified SEZs, and exclusions for certain exports and specified agricultural products, spices and particular capital goods. The notification permits drawback/CENVAT credit of additional duty against amounts debited in the scrip and defines "goods" and "capital goods" for scheme purposes.

Tariff value fixation: Government updates tariff values for specified vegetable oils and metal scrap under customs notification.
The Board, exercising powers under section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 36/2001-Cus (N.T.) by substituting a Table fixing tariff values (US$ per metric tonne) for specified goods, including Crude Palm Oil, RBD Palm Oil, other Palm Oil, Crude Palmolein, RBD Palmolein, other Palmolein, Crude Soyabean Oil, Brass Scrap (all grades), and Poppy seeds, under Notification No. 20/2009-CUSTOMS (N.T.).

Customs duty exemption: substitution of Nil entries for specified tariff items to extend exemptions to newspaper and magazine publishing.
The Central Government, under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 21/2002-Customs by substituting the entries in column (4) of the Table for S. No. 154, S. No. 154A and S. No. 156 with the entry "Nil", thereby recording zero duty for those tariff items by Notification No. 13/2009.

Customs duty reduction: specified tariff entries reduced to a lower uniform rate for two listed items under amended notification.
Substitutes the entries in column (4) against S. No. 65 and S. No. 66 of the Table to Notification No.21/2002 Customs with a lower uniform duty entry, under the power conferred by sub section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962, effected by Notification No.12/2009 Customs dated 10th February 2009.

Customs duty reduction on poppy seeds: tariff rate lowered by amendment to the effective rates notification altering the tariff entry.
Notification No.11/2009 amends Notification No.21/2002 by substituting the entry in column (4) against S. No.23A to change the customs tariff rate applicable to poppy seeds; the Central Government acted under its statutory customs powers, invoking public interest, and recorded the amendment within the published schedule of effective duty rates without creating additional procedural conditions.

Export duty removal on basmati rice amends customs tariff in notification, substituting 'nil' for duty entry.
The Central Government amended the customs tariff notification to remove export duty on basmati rice by substituting the entry in column (4) against S. No.16 in the Table of Notification No.66/2008-Customs with "nil", invoking its powers under the Customs Act and recording the change as necessary in the public interest.

Tariff value fixation for specified edible oils and brass scrap adjusts import valuation under Customs Act notification.
The Board amended the existing customs notification by substituting a revised Table fixing tariff values (US$ per metric tonne) for specified imports, including crude palm oil, RBD palm oil, other palm oil and palmolein categories, crude soyabean oil, brass scrap (all grades) and poppy seeds; several entries are marked as "no change", thereby updating the tariff valuation schedule used for customs assessment and import valuation under the notification framework.

Safeguard duty on Phthalic anhydride imposed, limiting imports with specified exemptions and a defined effectiveness period.
The Central Government, invoking section 8B(2) of the Customs Tariff Act and relevant safeguard rules, imposed a provisional safeguard duty on imports of Phthalic anhydride under tariff item 2917 35 00 after preliminary findings that increased imports caused and threatened serious injury to domestic producers. The measure excludes imports from developing countries notified under section 8B(6)(a), except Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand, and is effective until a specified date unless earlier revoked or amended.

Exchange Rate Determination: prescribed rupee equivalents for specified foreign currencies apply to import and export valuation.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs prescribes official rupee equivalents for specified foreign currencies for conversion into Indian rupees and vice versa, with distinct rates for imported goods and for export goods set out in two schedules; the notification, issued under the Customs Act, supersedes the prior currency notification except as to past actions and establishes the operative exchange rates for customs valuation purposes.

Appreciation Certificate awards to customs and enforcement personnel recognizing meritorious service and distinguished records under prescribed awards scheme.
Appreciation Certificates are awarded to specified officers of Customs & Central Excise, Central Bureau of Narcotics and the Enforcement Directorate in two categories: exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life and specially distinguished record of service, with named recipients across ranks and units. The awards are made under the governing awards scheme cited in the notification as the legal basis for grant of such certificates, as amended from time to time.

Anti-dumping duty on imported recordable DVDs imposes definitive tariffs by origin and export routing affecting imports from specified Asian jurisdictions.
Definitive anti-dumping duty is imposed on recordable DVDs under Customs Tariff heading 8523 originating in or exported from China PR, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. Duty amounts are specified per 1000 pieces in US dollars, differentiated by country-of-origin and country-of-export combinations, apply to all producers and exporters listed, take effect from the provisional duty date, and are payable in Indian currency using the exchange rate notified by the Department of Revenue with the bill-of-entry date as the relevant date.

Common adjudicating authority appointed to consolidate adjudication of specified customs show cause notices by revenue intelligence.
Appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Import), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Nhava Sheva as a common adjudicating authority empowered to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioner of Customs, Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad and the Commissioner of Customs (Import), CFS, Mulund for the purpose of adjudicating specific Show Cause Notices issued by the revenue intelligence unit concerning named importers, thereby consolidating adjudicatory jurisdiction for those matters.

Common adjudicating authority appointed to exercise customs adjudication powers in specified show cause proceedings arising from an intelligence investigation.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs designates the Commissioner of Customs, Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad as a common adjudicating authority to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Import), Air Cargo Complex, for adjudicating specified show cause notices issued in respect of M/s Kartik Traders and others arising from a revenue intelligence investigation.

Common Adjudicating Authority appointed to centralize adjudication of specified customs show cause notices following DRI referral.
Appoints the Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs, Surat I as Common Adjudicating Authority under sections 4(1) and 5(1) of the Customs Act to exercise the powers and duties of the specified customs and central excise officers named in the notification, limited to adjudication of matters arising from Show Cause Notices issued by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad concerning M/s Ayush Exports, M/s Astha Exim and others (F.No. DRI/SRU/INV-03/2007).