24 – November : Important Notifications & Circular

Circular: Customs:

Reduction in numbers of printouts required during Customs clearance

The Central Board of Excise andCustoms (“the Board”) vide Circular No. 55/2016- Customs dated November 23, 2016 has for promoting ‘Ease of doing business’ and making cargo clearance easier, decided to reduce the use of paper and to introduce electronic messaging and paperless processing by adopting the following means effective from December 1, 2016, namely

1.GAR7 forms/TR-6 Challans:

At present, there are 3 copies of the GAR7 forms/TR-6 Challans being generated and printed out along with the assessed copies of a Bill of Entry. It is observed by the Board that 95% of the importers pay only through e-Payment, where the challan information and payment confirmation are received electronically. Further, ICEGATE, on its e-Payment Gateway, provides a list of all unpaid Challans, for viewing & printing and can support Payment transactions. Therefore, the Board has decided that printout of GAR7 forms/ TR-6 Challans is not required. Hence GAR7 forms/TR-6 Challans would not be printed by default.

2. TP Copy:

At present, in ICES, there is a module for processing transhipment cargo from a sea port to ICD/CFS or to another seaport. Such transhipment can be by rail, road or sea. The transhipment permit information is sent electronically to the carrier, the transporter undertaking the transhipment, the custodian of the gateway port and the ICES system at the destination ICD or Port. Transhipment permit can also be printed by the carrier in his office or in the Custom house.Therefore, there does not remain need for printing the TP copy. However, where the ICDs/CFSs and the gateway port are not interconnected, manual copy or printing of TP copy may continue.

3.Shipping Bill (Exchange Control copy and Export Promotion copy):

After the Appraiser grants LEO (Let Export Order) in the system, printout of the Shipping Bill is generated by the system in triplicate i.e. (i) Customs copy (ii) Exporter’s copy and (iii) Exchange Control Copy. The fourth copy namely the Export Promotion Copy is generated after submission of EGM. Further, with regard to Shipping Bill:

(a) Detailed copy of the Shipping Bill is not required by the Authorised Dealer. It is enough if a summary copy is printed.

(b) CBEC provides copies of digitally signed Shipping Bills to DGFT.

In the light of the above it is clarified that printing of the Exchange Control copy and Export Promotion copy of the Shipping Bill does not serve any useful purpose.

4.Bill of Entry (Exchange Control Copy):

In reference to Bill of Entry (BOE) (exchange Control Copy) RBI has decided to do away with therequirement for the Banks to obtain a physical copy of Bill of Entry from the importer as an evidence of import because data can be transferred in secured manner from the system of Customs department to Import Data Processing and Monitoring System(IDPMS). It has been, therefore, decided to discontinue the printing of Exchange control copy of BOE unless there is a requirement of printing like in the case of manual BOEs.

Further, the Board has clarified that there could be cases where printing is necessitated for variety of reasons like manual BOEs, insistence of importer, exporter etc. and in such cases printouts may be provided on demand.

Notification: Customs:

Imposition of Safeguard Duty on hot rolled flat sheets and plates:

The Central Government vide Notification No. 3/2016- Customs (SG) dated November 23, 2016 has imposed safeguard duty on Hot Rolled flat sheets and plates (excluding hot rolled flat products in coil form) of alloy or non-alloy steel having nominal thickness less thanor equal to 150mm and nominal width of greater than or equal to 600mmat falling under heading 7208 or tariff items 7225 40 13, 7225 40 19, 7225 40 20, 7225 40 30 and7225 99 00 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (“the Customs Tariff Act”)at the following rates-

10% ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from November 23, 2016 to November 22, 2017 (both days inclusive) at an import price below US Dollar 504 per MT on CIF basis,
8% ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from November 23, 2017 to November 22, 2018 (both days inclusive) at an import price below US Dollar 504 per MT on CIF basis, and
6% ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from November 23, 2018 to May 22, 2019 (both days inclusive) at an import price below US Dollar 504 per MT on CIF basis.

Further, Nothing contained in this notification shall apply to imports of above said goods from countries notified as developing countries under Section 8B(6)(a) of the Customs Tariff Act except People’s Republic of China, Ukraine and Indonesia. Furthermore a list of goods has been prescribed which are not included in the scope of above said goods.

Public Notice: FTP:

Inclusion of new Regional Office of DGFT at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh inAppendix – 1A of Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade vide PublicNotice No. 43/2015-20 dated November 11, 2016 has included new Regional Office of DGFT at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh in the Appendix – 1A of Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20. Consequently the territorial jurisdiction of Regional Authority, Vishakhapatnam is re-allocated as whole of Andhra Pradesh excluding the districts which are under the jurisdiction of Regional Authority, Vijayawada.

Amendments in Product Description in MEIS Schedule –Table-2 of Appendix 3B

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade vide PublicNotice No. 44/2015-20 dated November 15, 2016 has made certain amendment in Table 2 of Appendix 3B dealing with list of products and list of markets eligible under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) thereby aligning description of around 30 products in MEIS Schedule with that under ITC(HS).

24 – November : Important Notifications & Circular

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24 – November : Important Notifications & Circular

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