2022 (2) TMI 1355
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ed order has denied the benefit of the said notification on the ground that the condition provided in the proviso has not been complied. Aggrieved by the said order, the appellant have filed these appeals 3. Shri Vikas Mehta, Learned Consultantappearing on behalf of the appellant submits that due to oversight, the appellant had not claimed exemption from payment of Additional Duty of Customs under Section 3 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, which is equal to Excise Duty leviable on like goods as provided under Notification No. 30/2004 -CE as amended. That realizing their mistake, the Appellant challenged the assessment. The impugned order is contrary to Board Circular No. 1005/12/2015-CX dated. 21.07.2015 4. He also submits that case of PRASHRAY OVERSEAS PVT. LTD. 2016 (338) ELT 44(Mad.) has not been followed by Hon'ble CESTAT in the case of ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL LTD. 2017(346) ELT 423 (Tri. Chennai) and entitlement of appellant-importer therein to exemption under Notification No. 30/2004-C.E. dated 09.07.2004 has been duly upheld by rejecting the appeal filed by department. Hon'ble CESTAT followed the decisions of Hon'ble Supreme Court in SRF LTD., VS COMMISSIONER 2015 (3....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....me is reproduced below:- Circular No. 1005/12/2015-CX, dated 21-7-2015 Make in India Policy - Removal of disadvantage to domestic manufacturers vis-a-vis importers Circular No. 1005/12/2015-CX., dated 21- 07-2015 F. No. 336/4/2015-TRU Government of India Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) Central Board of Excise & Customs, New Delhi Subject : Judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of M/s. SRF Ltd. versus Commissioner of Customs. Chennai - Clarification relating to notifications No. 30/2004-Central Excise, dated 9-7-2004. No. 1/2011-Central Excise dated 1-3-2011 and No. 12/2012-Central Excise dated 17-3-2012, as amended - Regarding. It may recalled that the Hon'ble Supreme Court, in the case of M/s. SRF Ltd. versus Commissioner of Customs, Chennai and M/s. ITC Ltd. v/s. Commissioner of Customs (I&G), New Delhi [2015 (318) E.L.T. 607 (S.C.)] relating to CVD exemption, has held that the benefit of excise duty exemption [available to final products manufactured by the domestic manufacturer, subject to the condition of non-availment of CENVAT credit of duty on inputs or capital goods used by such manufacturer for manufacture of such....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ication for the time being in force. 7. It may, therefore, be noted that the domestically manufactured goods covered under these notifications/entries continue to be exempt from excise duty or subject to concessional rate of excise duty, as the case may be, as they were prior to 17th July, 2015. 8. Trade Notice/Public Notice may be issued to the field formations and taxpayers. 9. Difficulties faced, if any, in implementation of this Circular may be brought to the notice of the Board. The above circular was issued as a consequent to the Hon'ble Supreme Court judgment in the case of SRF LTD. VS. COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, CHENNAI-2015 (318) ELT 607 (S.C.) and AIDEK TOURISM SERVICE PVT. LTD Vs. COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, NEW DELHI- 2015 (318) ELT 3 (S.C.). Wherein, it was held that the condition of non availment of Cenvat Credit on input/capital goods need not to be satisfied by the buyer/importer of such goods. In view of the above circular, the appellant was entitled for exemption from CVD at the time of clearance of the imported goods in terms of Notification No.30/2004-CE dated 09.07.2004. Needless to say that, it is a settled legal position by the Hon'bl....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... the respondents appealed against the assessment of Bill of Entries where CVD has been charged without giving the benefit of the notification. The LAA in the impugned orders while allowing the appeal has discussed the issue in detail and also relied on this Tribunal's Division Bench decisions in the case of Prashray Overseas Pvt. Ltd. (supra) and also relied Tribunal's decision in Nhava Sheva v. Ashima Dyecot Ltd. (supra) and Mapsa Tapes Pvt. Ltd. case (supra). 12. On perusal of the grounds of appeal already reproduced above, the Revenue's contention that LAA has not considered the Tribunal's Larger Bench decision in the case of Priyesh Chemicals & Metals v. CCE, Bangalore (supra) and further contended that this Chennai Tribunal's Bench decision in the case of Prashray Overseas Pvt. Ltd. (supra) relied by LAA has not attained finality as Revenue preferred appeal against Tribunal order before the Hon'ble High Court, Madras which is still pending. Revenue also contended that notification in question should have been given effect to prospectively and the condition stipulated in the notification is only for local manufacturer of goods and not for import....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....g the material period in terms of Notification No. 20/2006- Cus., dated 1-3-2006. We find that the levy of CVD on imports is regulated by the following provisions of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. "3. Levy of additional duty equal to excise duty. - Any article which is imported into India shall, in addition, be liable to a (1) duty (hereafter to this section referred to as the additional duty) equal to the excise duty for the time being leviable on a like article if produced or manufactured in India and if such excise duty on a like article is leviable at any percentage of its value, the additional duty to which the imported article shall be so liable shall be calculated at that percentage of the value of the imported article." CVD is therefore payable on imported silk fabrics at the rate central excise duty is leviable for the time being on such silk fabrics produced or manufactured in India. Additional duty is imposed on imported goods to counter balance the central excise duty leviable on like articles made indigenously, this being a measure intended to safeguard the interests of the manufacturers in India. As no duty was payable on silk yarn either indigenous o....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ble under the Cenvat Rules. On this basis, the CEGAT has come to the conclusion that when the credit under the Cenvat Rules is not admissible to the appellant, question of fulfilling the aforesaid condition does not arise. In holding so, it followed the judgment of the Bombay High Court in the case of Ashok Traders v. Union of India [1987 (32) E.L.T. 262], wherein the Bombay High Court had held that "it is impossible to imagine a case where in respect of raw naphtha used in HDPE in the foreign country, Central Excise duty leviable under the Indian Law can be levied or paid." Thus, the CEGAT found that only those conditions could be satisfied which were possible of satisfaction and the condition which was not possible of satisfaction had to be treated as not satisfied. 7. We are of the opinion that the aforesaid reasoning is no longer good law after the judgment of this court in Thermax Private Limited v. Collector of Customs (Bombay), New Customs House [1992 (4) SCC 440] = 2002-TIOL-683-SC-CUS-LB which was affirmed by the Constitution Bench in the case of Hyderabad Industries Limited v. Union of India [1999 (5) SCC 15] = 2002-TIOL-369-SC-CUS-CB. In a recent judgment pronou....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ely covered by the aforesaid judgments. We accordingly hold that appellants were entitled to exemption from payment of CVD in terms of Notification No. 6/2002. The appeals are allowed and the demand of CVD raised by the respondents-authorities is set aside." The ratio of the Apex Court's decision is squarely applicable to the present case where CVD exemption was denied under Notfn. No. 30/2004 where the proviso to the notification stipulated the condition that the exemption is not applicable if credit of duty on inputs or capital goods has been taken under CCR. 15. Further, we find the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of AIDEX Tourism Services Pvt. Ltd. v. CC (supra) has not only considered the cases of Thermax Private Ltd. and Hyderabad Industries Ltd. but also discussed the Apex Court's decision in the case of Motiram Tolaram v. UOI (supra). The relevant para is extracted hereinunder :- " ..... ... ..... ... This position has been reiterated in Motiram Tolaram v. Union of India - (1999) 6 SCC 375 = 1999 (112) E.L.T. 749 (S.C.), CCE v. J.K. Synthetics - (2000) 10 SCC 393 = 2000 (120) E.L.T. 54 (S.C.), Lohia Sheet Products v. Commr. of Customs -....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....e latest decision of Apex Court in SRF case &AIDEK Tourism Services Pvt. Ltd., the issue of CVD exemption under Notfn. No. 30/2004 on imported goods has attained finality. This Tribunal Bench decisions in the case of M/s. Prashray Overseas Pvt. Ltd. v. CC, Chennai stands confirmed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the above decision. 17. Before parting, we wish to record that the respondents repeatedly pleaded that under ICES-EDI system the Notification No. 30/2004-C.E., dated 9-7-2004 has not yet been uploaded and not figuring in the system for assessment even after a decade. This fact was already reported in this Tribunal order dated 10-8-2010 in the case of M/s. Elegant Fabric v. CC, Chennai (supra). Therefore, we bring to the notice of the Chairman, C.B.E. & C. & DG (Systems), C.B.E. & C., New Delhi to rectify and upload the said notification in the EDI system at the earliest so that the Trade need not seek every time for manual assessment of Bill of Entry or file appeal against every assessed Bill of Entry under EDI before Commissioner (Appeals) as is happening at present in the Custom House. 18. By respectfully following the ratio of the Apex Court decisio....
TaxTMI