Customs - Proposals involving changes in rates of duty - THE FINANCE (No. 2) BILL, 2014

Proposals involving changes in rates of duty:

I. AGRICULTURE/AGRO PROCESSING/PLANTATION SECTOR:

     1) Description of the product “sun dried dark seedless raisins” in notification No.12/2012-Customs, dated 17.03.2012, which attracts concessional Basic Customs Duty of 30% is being changed to “dark seedless raisins”.

    2) Full exemption from customs duty is being granted to de-oiled soya extract, groundnut oil cake/oil cake meal, sunflower oil cake/oil cake meal, canola oil cake/oil cake meal, mustard oil cake/oil cake meal, rice bran/rice bran oil cake and palm kernel cake, up to 31.12.2014.

II. CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS

     1) Basic Customs duty on reformate is being reduced from 10% to 2.5%. Basic Customs duty on propane, ethane, ethylene, propylene, butadiene is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

     2) Basic Customs Duty on ortho-xylene is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

     3) Basic Customs Duty on denatured ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol is being reduced from 7.5% to 5%.

     4) Basic Customs Duty on crude naphthalene is being reduced from 10% to 5%.

     5) Basic Customs Duty on fatty acids, crude palm stearin, RBD and other palm stearin and specified industrial grade crude oils is being reduced from 7.5% to Nil for manufacture of soaps and oleochemicals subject to actual user condition. Basic Customs Duty is also being reduced on crude glycerine from 12.5% to 7.5% in general and from 12.5% to Nil for manufacture of soaps subject to actual user condition.

III. ENERGY SECTOR

     1) The duty structure on non-agglomerated coal of various types is being rationalized at 2.5% BCD and 2% CVD. Accordingly, the BCD on Coking coal is being increased from NIL to 2.5% and on steam coal and bituminous coal from 2% to 2.5%. The BCD on anthracite coal and other coal is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%. The CVD on Anthracite coal, Coking coal and other Coal is being reduced from 6% to 2%.

     2) Basic Customs Duty on metallurgical coke is being increased from Nil to 2.5%.

     3) Exemption from Basic Customs Duty is being granted on re-gasified LNG for supply to Pakistan.

    4) Liquefied Propane and Butane mixture, Liquefied Propane, Liquefied Butane and Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) imported by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited or Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, for supply to Non-Domestic Exempted Category (NDEC) customers is being fully exempted retrospectively w.e.f. 08.02.2013.

IV. TEXTILES:

     1) The duty free entitlement for import of trimmings & embellishments used by the readymade textile garment sector for manufacture of garments for export is being increased from 3% to 5%.

     2) Non-fusible embroidery motifs or prints are being included in the list of items eligible to be imported duty free for manufacture of garments for export.

    3) The list of specified goods required by handicraft manufacturer-exporters is being expanded by including wire rolls so as to provide Customs Duty exemption on import by handicraft manufacturer-exporters.

    4) Fusible embroidery motifs or prints, anti-theft devices, pin bullets for packing, plastic tag bullets, metal tabs, bows, ring and slider hand rings are being included in the list of items eligible to be imported duty free for manufacture of handloom made ups or cotton made ups or manmade made ups for export.

    5) Specified goods imported for use in the manufacture of textile garments for export are fully exempt from BCD and CVD subject to the condition that the manufacturer produces an entitlement certificate from the Apparel Export Promotion Council. In addition, Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC) is being authorised to issue entitlement certificate.

     6) Basic Customs Duty on raw materials for manufacture of spandex yarn viz. Polytetramethylene ether glycol (PT MEG) and Diphenylmethane 4,4 di-isocyanate (MDI) is being reduced from 5% to Nil.

V. METALS:

     1) Basic Customs Duty on stainless steel flat products (CTH 7219 and 7220) is being increased from 5% to 7.5%

     2) The BCD on ships imported for breaking up is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

     3) Export duty on bauxite is being increased from 10% to 20% .

     4) Basic Customs Duty on coal tar pitch is being reduced from 10% to 5%.

     5) Basic Customs Duty on battery waste and battery scrap is being reduced from 10% to 5%

     6) Basic Customs Duty on steel grade limestone and steel grade dolomite is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

VI. PRECIOUS METALS:

     1) Basic Customs Duty on half-cut or broken diamonds is being increased from NIL to 2.5% and on cut & polished diamonds and colored gemstones from 2% to 2.5%.

     2) Full exemption from Basic Customs Duty is being granted to pre-forms of precious and semi-precious stones.

     3) The variation level and the parameter of measurement in respect of re-import of cut and polished diamonds after certification/grading from a foreign laboratory/agency are being increased as a trade facilitation measure.

VII. ELECTRONICS/HARDWARE:

     1) Basic Customs Duty on LCD and LED TV panels of below 19 inches is being reduced from 10% to NIL.

     2) Basic Customs Duty is being exempted on specified parts of LCD and LED panels for TVs.

     3) Basic Customs Duty on colour picture tubes for manufacture of cathode ray TVs is being reduced from 10% to NIL.

     4) Basic Customs Duty on specified telecommunication products not covered under the ITA (Information Technology Agreement) is being increased from NIL to 10%.

     5) Special Additional Duty (SAD) on all inputs/components used in the manufacture of Personal Computers (laptops/desktops) and tablet computers is being exempted, subject to actual user condition.

     6) Education cess and Secondary and Higher Education (SHE) cess is being levied on imported electronic products.

     7) Full exemption from Special Additional Duty (SAD) is being provided on specified inputs (PVC sheet & Ribbon) used in the manufacture of smart cards.

     8) Basic Customs Duty is being reduced from 7.5% to NIL on E-Book readers.

     9) CVD exemption on portable X-ray machine / system is being withdrawn.

VIII. RENEWABLEENERGY:

     1) Basic Customs Duty is being reduced from 10% to 5% on forged steel rings used in the manufacture of bearings of wind operated electricity generators.

     2) Full exemption from Special Additional Duty is being provided on parts and components required for the manufacture of wind operated electricity generators.

     3) Basic customs duty on machinery, equipments, etc. required for setting up of solar energy production projects is being reduced to 5%.

     4) Full exemption from Basic Customs Duty is being provided on specified raw materials used in the manufacture of solar backsheet and EVA sheet.

     5) Full exemption from Basic Customs Duty is being provided on flat copper wire used in the manufacture of PV ribbons (tinned copper interconnect) for solar PV cells/modules.

     6) Concessional customs duty of 5% is being provided on machinery, equipments, etc. required for setting up of compressed biogas plant (Bio-CNG).

IX. CAPITAL GOODS/INFRASTRUCTURE:

     1) It is being clarified that road construction machinery imported duty free can be sold within 5 years of importation subject to payment of customs duty on depreciated value and that individual constituents of the consortium whose names appear in the contract can import goods without payment of duty.

     2) State Governments concerned are being notified as sponsoring authority for Metro Rail Projects covered under the Project Import Regulations, 1986.

     3) Plants & Equipment imported prior to 2008 for use in projects financed by the UN or an international organization, which hitherto could not be transferred / sold / re-exported out of the project site, are now being allowed to be transferred / sold / re-exported from the project site.

     4) The requirement of certification by Ministry of Road Transport (or NHAI) for availing of customs duty exemption on specified goods required for construction of roads is being done away with.

    5) Director (Electrical) is being authorized to issue the requisite certificate to enable Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to avail of Nil BCD and Nil CVD benefits in respect of their Phase-1 and Phase-2 projects instead of Director (Rolling Stock, Electrical & Signalling) at present.

X. HEALTH

     1) Full exemption from customs duty is being provided for HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostic kits imported under National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM).

XI. SECURITY AND STRATEGIC PURPOSES:

     1) Full exemption from Basic customs Duty is being provided to goods imported by National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).

     2) Full exemption of customs duty is being provided on security fibre, security threads and M-feature imported by Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited (BNPMIPL), Mysore. Full exemption from BCD and CVD is also being provided for raw materials required for manufacture of security threads and security fibre subject to actual user condition.

     3) The scope of exemption notification No.39/96-Customs dated 23.07.1996 [S.No.7] granting full exemption from BCD and CVD on goods imported for use in the manufacture of aircrafts for the Ministry of Defence is being clarified to the effect that the exemption is available to all materials in any form and articles thereof, subject to the overall condition that they conform to aeronautical specification accompanied with certificate of conformance/release note/airworthiness certificate for development.

XII. AIRCRAFTS & SHIPS:

     1) It is being clarified that aircraft engines and parts thereof are eligible for duty exemption when imported for servicing, repair or maintenance of aircrafts used for scheduled operations.

XIII. MISCELLANEOUS:

     1) Tariff item 3903 19 90 is being deleted from notification No.10/2008-Customs, [India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement (CECA)]. As a result, Basic Customs Duty on Polystyrene (other than moulding powder) is being increased from 1.15% to 7.5%.

    2) Basic Customs Duty is being reduced from 5% to 2.5% on electrolysers and their parts/spares required by caustic soda or caustic potash units and membranes and their parts/spares required by industrial plants based on membrane cell technology. The BCD on other spares (other than membranes and parts thereof) is also being reduced from 7.5% to 2.5%.

    3) A provision is being made for refund of Customs duty paid at the time of import of scientific and technical instruments, apparatus, etc. by public funded and other research institutions, subject to submission of a certificate of registration from the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR).

    4) Section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 is being amended so as to provide for levy of safeguard duty on inputs/raw materials imported by an EOU and cleared into DTA as such or are used in the manufacture of final products & cleared into DTA.