DGFT Releases Special Advance Authorisation (SAA) Scheme for Additional Drawback on 22% of Garment Value for Interlining Portion in Bill of Materials

Ø HS Chapters 61 and 62 Covered

Ø Duty Free Advance Authorisation for Fabric Portion to Follow Existing Rules of Pre-import, Actual User Condition and Published Input Output Norms

Ø Drawback at Cut Rate of 3.3% to 4.7% Allowed on Interlining Portion Representing 22% of Garment Value when Clubbed with Duty Free AA Route for Fabrics

(WTS Fears that scheme may be non-starter since exporters prefer the simplicity Customs duty free jobbing notification for CMT (Cut-Make-Trim) operation where fabric is supplied by buyer on Job Work basis.

Too many conditions for manufacturing with less than 1% rise in DBK on full Garment Value in the New SAA for Garments!)

Customs Notification on Special Advance Authorisation (SAA) for Duty Free Fabric Import

[Customs Notification No. 45 dated 13^th August 2016]

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 fabrics (including interlining) imported into India against a valid Special Advance Authorisation (hereinafter referred to as the said authorisation) issued by the Regional Authority in terms of paragraph 4.04A of the Foreign Trade Policy from the whole of the duty of customs leviable thereon which is specified in the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Tariff Act) and from the whole of the additional duty, safeguard duty and anti-dumping duty leviable thereon, respectively, under sections 3, 8B and 9A of the Customs Tariff Act, subject to the following conditions, namely :-

(i) that the said authorisation is produced before the proper officer at the time of clearance for debit;

(ii) that the said authorisation is meant for import of fabric only and bears,-

(a) the name and address of the importer and the supporting manufacturer in cases where the authorisation has been issued to a merchant exporter; and

(b) the description and other specifications of the fabrics to be imported and the description, quantity and value of exports of the product falling under Chapter 61 or 62 of the said First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act;

(iii) that the fabrics imported corresponds to the description and other specifications (where applicable) mentioned in the authorisation and are in terms of para 4.12 of the Foreign Trade Policy and the value and quantity thereof are within the limits specified in the said authorisation;

(iv) that the importer at the time of clearance of the imported fabric executes a bond with such surety or security and in such Form and for such sum as may be specified by the Deputy Commissioner of Customs or Assistant Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, binding himself to pay on demand an amount equal to the duty leviable, but for the exemption contained herein, on the imported materials in respect of which the conditions specified in this notification are not complied with, together with interest at the rate of fifteen per cent. per annum from the date of clearance of the said materials:

Provided that in relation to the said authorisation issued to a merchant exporter, the bond required to be executed by the importer in terms of this notification shall be executed jointly by the merchant exporter and the supporting manufacturer binding themselves jointly and severally to comply with the conditions specified in this notification;

(v) 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, by special order or a public notice and subject to such conditions as may be specified by him, permit import and export through any other Sea-port, Airport, Inland Container Depot or through a Land Customs Station within his jurisdiction;

(vi) that the export is made subject to pre-import condition on the fabrics in terms of notified Standard Input Output Norms (SION) or under prior fixation of norms for fabric only;

(vii) that the export obligation as specified in the said authorisation (both in value and quantity terms) is discharged within the period specified in the said authorisation or within such extended period as may be granted by the Regional Authority through physical exports of products (in which the pre-imported fabric is physically incorporated) falling under Chapter 61 or 62 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act manufactured in India which are specified in the said authorisation;

(viii) that the importer produces evidence of discharge of export obligation to the satisfaction of the Deputy Commissioner of Customs or Assistant Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, within a period of sixty days of the expiry of period allowed for fulfillment of export obligation, or within such extended period as the said Deputy Commissioner of Customs or Assistant Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may allow;

(ix) that the said authorisation shall not be transferred and the said fabrics shall not be transferred or sold;

Provided that the said fabrics may be transferred to a job worker for processing subject to complying the conditions specified in the relevant Central Excise notifications permitting transfer of materials for job work;

Provided further that, no such transfer for purposes of job work shall be effected to the units located in areas eligible for area based exemptions from the levy of excise duty in terms of notification Nos. 32/1999-Central Excise dated 08.07.1999, 33/1999-Central Excise dated 08.07.1999, 39/2001- Central Excise dated 31.07.2001, 56/2002- Central Excise dated 14.11.2002, 57/2002- Central Excise dated 14.11.2002, 49/2003- Central Excise dated 10.06.2003, 50/2003- Central Excise dated 10.06.2003, 56/2003- Central Excise dated 25.06.2003, 71/03- Central Excise dated 09.09.2003, 8/2004- Central Excise dated 21.01.2004 and 20/2007- Central Excise dated 25.04.2007.

2. Where the fabrics are found defective or unfit for use, the said fabrics may be re-exported back to the foreign supplier within six months from the date of clearance of the said fabrics or such extended period not exceeding a further period of six months as the Commissioner of Customs may allow:

Provided that at the time of re-export, the fabrics are identified as the same fabric which was imported to the satisfaction of the Deputy Commissioner of Customs or Assistant Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be.

Explanation, – For the purposes of this notification,-

(I) "Foreign Trade Policy" means the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020, published by the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued vide notification No. 01/2015-2020, dated the 1st April 2015 as amended from time to time;

(II) “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 authorized by him to grant an authorisation under the said Act.

3. This notification shall come into force on the 1St day of September 2016.

[F. No. 605/42/2016-DBK]