Anti-dumping duty extension on 1-Phenyl-3-Methyl-5-Pyrazolone from China continues under Customs Tariff Act powers for further period.
The Central Government, exercising powers under the Customs Tariff Act and applicable anti-dumping rules, amended the principal notification imposing anti-dumping duty on 1-Phenyl-3-Methyl-5-Pyrazolone originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting paragraph 4, which provides that the notification shall remain in force up to and inclusive of the stated terminal date unless revoked earlier.

Anti-dumping duty extension for Caustic Soda from Chinese Taipei; duties on other origins allowed to lapse.
The Central Government amends Notification No.79/2011-Customs to extend anti-dumping duty on Caustic Soda from Chinese Taipei for one year and to allow duties on Thailand and Norway to lapse; it substitutes the Table entry for serial number 6 in column (5) with "Any country other than attracting anti-dumping duty" and inserts a paragraph stating that duties on the subject goods at serial numbers 4, 5 and 6 shall remain in force up to and inclusive of 22nd August, 2017 unless revoked earlier.

Exchange rate determination sets rupee conversion rates for listed foreign currencies for import and export customs purposes.
Determination of exchange rates under section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, effective 19 August 2016, superseding the earlier notification and prescribing distinct rupee conversion rates for listed foreign currencies for imported and exported goods in two annexed schedules, with an administrative note recording a subsequent substitution to the South African Rand entry.

Delegation of Chief Commissioner powers to Principal Commissioners with additional charge enables exercise of chief-level authority in the customs jurisdiction.
The Board invests Principal Commissioners given additional charge with the powers of the Chief Commissioner for the jurisdiction specified in the earlier notification, enabling them to exercise authority ordinarily vested in the Chief Commissioner to ensure continuity of customs administration.

Provisional anti-dumping duty imposed on cold rolled flat steel imports to offset dumped imports and protect domestic industry.
Provisional anti-dumping duty is imposed on imports of cold rolled flat alloy and non alloy steel from China, Japan, Korea RP and Ukraine after preliminary findings of dumping, material injury to the domestic industry, and causation; duties are set as the difference between specified benchmark amounts and the customs assessable landed value where lower, payable in Indian currency, with exchange rates as notified for the bill of entry date, and effective for up to eight months from publication.

Customs exemption for fabrics under Special Advance Authorisation permits duty free import subject to export obligation and bond.
Exemption from customs and specified ancillary duties applies to fabrics imported under a valid Special Advance Authorisation, contingent on production of the authorisation at clearance, conformity with authorisation descriptions and limits, import through prescribed ports or notified SEZs, compliance with pre import norms, execution of a bond to secure duty repayment if conditions fail, and discharge of the export obligation by physical exports of garments within the authorised period or any permitted extension.

Drawback rates for garments exported under Special Advance Authorization now specified, with detailed rates for garment chapters and caps.
The notification amends the All Industry Rates of drawback for garments exported under Special Advance Authorization issued under paragraph 4.04A of the Foreign Trade Policy by inserting a proviso that (i) substitutes heading A and heading B with heading C and heading D for such exports and (ii) makes entries in the Schedule NIL for all Chapters except Chapters 61 and 62, for which a detailed Table of unit-based drawback rates and caps-distinguishing whether Cenvat facility has been availed-is annexed to the notification.

Fixation of Tariff Values: Revised customs tariff values prescribed for specified edible oils, metals and agricultural commodities.
Amendment substitutes revised Tables 1-3 in Notification No. 36/2001-Customs (N.T.), fixing unit tariff values in US dollars for listed imported goods-edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nut-and specified unit values for gold and silver where notification benefits are availed, under section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962, for use in customs valuation and related procedures.

Electronic passenger manifests require timely transmission, prescribed passenger and crew data, and revised aircraft manifest reporting formats.
Electronic transmission of aircraft passenger manifests to Indian Customs is required in flat-file or UN/EDIFACT PAXLST API format. Separate complete files for passengers and crew must be sent for each flight, containing prescribed flight, identity, travel-document, journey, crew, visa and carrier-contact data. Passenger manifests must be delivered within fifteen minutes after flight closure and departure from the foreign port of embarkation. Flat-file records must use pipe separators, show unavailable values as nulls and keep each passenger record on one line. Form II is revised to prescribe corresponding flight, passenger, journey, document, crew, visa and message information.

Electronic passenger manifests require prescribed advance filing times, separate crew and passenger files, and standardised travel-information formats.
Export Manifest (Aircraft) Amendment Regulations, 2016 require pre-check-in passenger manifests twelve hours before departure and final manifests fifteen minutes before aircraft departure. Passenger and crew manifests must be electronically transmitted to Indian Customs in prescribed flat-file or UN/EDIFACT PAXLST Advance Passenger Information formats. Separate passenger and crew files, specified file naming, pipe-separated fields, null values for unavailable data, and prescribed flight, identity, travel-document, journey, crew, visa and carrier-contact particulars are required. Form II is replaced with a revised passenger manifest format containing optional marked fields.

Anti-dumping duty on hot-rolled flat steel products imposed to counter dumped imports and protect domestic industry.
Provisional anti-dumping duty is imposed on specified hot-rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel from China, Japan, Korea RP, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia; duty equals the difference between the Table's specified reference amount and the assessed landed value where the latter is lower, calculated per metric tonne in the stated currency. The notification lists covered product descriptions, exclusions, and named producers/exporters, defines "landed value" as assessable value under the Customs Act excluding certain duties, prescribes the exchange rate rule, and makes the duty effective for up to eight months from publication.

Anti-dumping duty on viscose staple fibre imports from China and Indonesia continues with specific per-unit rates and scope.
Imposes anti-dumping duty on Viscose Staple Fibre excluding Bamboo fibre from People's Republic of China and Indonesia after findings of dumping, injury and likelihood of recurrence; prescribes specific producer and exporter based per kilogram rates in US dollars in the notification Table, applies for five years from Gazette publication (subject to earlier change), requires payment in Indian currency, and uses the notified Customs Act exchange rate with the bill of entry date as the relevant date.

Anti-dumping duty on PVC flex films from China set with specified per-unit rates and defined scope, continuing for a fixed term.
Anti dumping duty on PVC Flex Films from the People's Republic of China is continued with specified per kilogram rates differentiated by producer and exporter combinations and by country of origin/export. The designated authority found continued dumping, positive dumping and injury margins, and the likelihood of price undercutting and injury if duties ceased. Exclusions to the scope are listed; duties are payable in Indian currency, calculated using the notified exchange rate with the bill of entry date as the relevant date, and are subject to a fixed term and possible earlier revocation or amendment.

Anti-dumping duty on PVC Flex Film imports requires final assessment despite new shipper review findings.
A new shipper review for PVC Flex Film exports by M/s Haining Tianfu Warp Knitting Co. Ltd and M/s Manna, Korea RP concluded no individual dumping margin but recommended that consignments provisionally assessed since initiation of the review be subjected to the previously imposed anti-dumping duty. The Central Government, under the Customs Tariff Act and applicable rules, has directed that those provisionally assessed imports be finally assessed on payment of the anti-dumping duty at the prescribed per unit rate.

Anti dumping duty continuation on MBTS imports upheld by administrative amendment extending the in force period of the original notification.
The amendment extends the anti-dumping duty on Dibenzothiazole disulphide (MBTS) originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting a paragraph in the principal 2011 notification, pursuant to powers under the Customs Tariff Act and the implementing rules, to keep that notification in force until 19 October 2017 unless revoked earlier.

Anti-dumping duty extension on sodium nitrite from China maintained for a further limited period pending review.
Amendment to the principal notification extends the anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting a paragraph that keeps the existing duty in force for an additional limited period, without changing the duty's rate or tariff scope, pending completion of the statutory continuation review and subject to earlier revocation.

Safeguard duty exemption for imports priced at or above prescribed CIF thresholds, based on assessable value criteria.
The amendment replaces paragraph 2 of Notification No.1/2016-Customs (SG) to provide that specified tariff items are not subject to safeguard duty when imported at or above the prescribed import price on a CIF basis, with units and currency identified per entry. The notification defines "import price on CIF basis" as the assessable value determined under section 14 of the Customs Act, linking the exemption to customs valuation.

Anti-dumping duty continuation on Opal Glassware extended for a further one-year period to maintain trade remedy coverage.
The Central Government amends the prior notification to insert a paragraph providing that, notwithstanding earlier provisions, the notification imposing anti-dumping duty on Opal Glassware from China and UAE shall remain in force for an additional one-year period unless revoked earlier, thereby continuing the anti-dumping duty under the Customs Tariff framework and its implementing rules.

Anti-dumping duty extension: continuation of duties on sewing machine needles from specified origin maintained for a further period.
Continuation of the anti-dumping duty on sewing machine needles originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China is effected by inserting a paragraph into the principal notification to extend its operation for a further specified period unless revoked earlier; the amendment follows a review request under the statutory sunset review mechanism and is made under the powers conferred by the Customs Tariff Act and applicable anti-dumping rules.

Exchange Rate Determination sets official currency conversion rates for customs purposes effective from August, superseding prior notification.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, under section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, prescribes specific rupee conversion rates for listed foreign currencies to be applied to imported and export goods with effect from 5 August 2016, by means of two annexed Schedules (separate rates for imported and export goods), and supersedes the earlier notification except insofar as prior actions are concerned.