SEIS Zero Duty Scheme Customs Notification

[Ref: Notification No. 25 / 2015 – Customs dated 8 April 2015]

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts goods when imported into India against a Service Exports from India Scheme duty credit scrip issued by the Regional Authority under paragraph 3.10 read with paragraph 3.08 of the Foreign Trade Policy (hereinafter referred to as the said scrip) from,-

(a) the whole of the duty of customs leviable thereon under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as said Customs Tariff Act); and

(b) the whole of the additional duty leviable thereon under section 3 of the said Customs Tariff Act.

2. The exemption shall be subject to following conditions, namely:-

(1) that the duty credit in the said scrip is issued to a service provider located in India against export of notified services listed in Appendix 3D of Appendices and Aayat Niryat Forms of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020;

(2) that the imports and exports are undertaken through the seaports, airports or through the inland container depots or through the land customs stations as mentioned in the Table 2 annexed to the Notification No. 16/2015- Customs dated 01.04.2015 or a Special Economic Zone notified under section 4 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005):

Provided that the Commissioner of Customs may within the jurisdiction, by special order, or by a Public Notice, and subject to such conditions as may be specified by him, permit import and export through any other sea-port,

(3) that the said scrip is registered with the Customs Authority at the port of registration specified on the said scrip;

(4) that the said scrip is produced before the proper officer of customs at the time of clearance for debit of the duties leviable on the goods and the proper officer of customs, taking into account the debits already made under this exemption and debits made under the notification Nos. 21 of 2015 - Central Excise, dated the 8^th April, 2015 and 11 of 2015 -Service Tax, dated the 8^th April, 2015, shall debit the duties leviable on the goods, but for this exemption;

(5) that the said scrip and goods imported against it shall be freely transferable ;

(6) that where the importer does not claim exemption from the additional duty of customs leviable under section 3 of the said Customs Tariff Act, he shall be deemed not to have availed the exemption from the said duty for the purpose of calculation of the said additional duty of customs;

(7) that the importer shall be entitled to avail drawback of the duty of customs leviable under the First Schedule to the said Customs Tariff Act against the amount debited in the said scrip;

(8) that the importer shall be entitled to avail drawback or CENVAT credit of additional duty leviable under section 3 of the said Customs Tariff Act against the amount debited in the said scrip.

(9) that the benefit under this notification shall not be available to the items listed in Appendix 3A of Appendices and Aayat Niryat Forms of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020.

Explanation.- In this notification-

(I) "Capital goods" has the same meaning as assigned to it in paragraph 9.08 of the Foreign Trade Policy;

(II) "Foreign Trade Policy" means the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020, published by the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry notification number 01/2015-2020, dated the 1^st April 2015 as amended from time to time;

(III) "Goods" means any inputs or goods including capital goods;

(IV) “Regional Authority” means the Director General of Foreign Trade appointed under section 6 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (22 of 1992) or an officer authorised by him to grant an authorisation including a duty credit scrip under the said Act.

[F.No.605/55/2014-DBK]