2) The tariff rate of basic customs duty on goods falling under all the tariff items of Chapters 72 and 73 that is iron and steel and articles of iron or steel, is being increased from 10% to 15%. However, there is no change in the existing effective rates of basic customs duty on these goods.

3) The tariff rate of basic customs duty on goods falling under all the tariff items of heading 8702 that is motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, including the driver and 8704 that is motor vehicles for the transport of goods, is being increased from 10 to 40%. The effective Basic Customs duty on such Vehicles is being increased from 10% to 20%. However, customs duty on such vehicles in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) condition and electrically operated vehicles of heading 8702 including those in CKD condition will continue to be at 10%.

The above changes will come into effect immediately owing to a declaration under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931.

A. Proposals involving changes in rates of duty:

I. CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS

1) Basic Customs Duty on ulexite ore is being reduced from 2.5% to Nil.

2) Basic Customs duty on isoprene and liquefied butane is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

3) Basic Customs Duty on ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and styrene monomer (SM) is being reduced from 2.5% to 2%.

4) Basic Customs Duty on butyl acrylate is being reduced from 7.5% to 5%.

5) Basic Customs Duty on anthraquinone is being reduced from 7.5% to 2.5%.

6) Basic Customs Duty on antimony metal and antimony waste and scrap is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

7) SAD on naphtha, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and styrene monomer (SM) for manufacture of excisable goods is being reduced from 4% to 2%.

II. FERTILISERS

1) Basic Customs Duty on sulphuric acid for the manufacture of fertilizers is being reduced from 7.5% to 5%.

III. INFRASTRUCTURE

1) The Scheduled rates of Additional Duty of Customs levied on imported Motor Spirit [Petrol] and High Speed Diesel Oil [commonly known as Road Cess] are being increased from ₹ 2 per litre to ₹ 8 per litre. The effective rates of Additional Duty of Customs levied on imported Motor Spirit [Petrol] and High Speed Diesel Oil [commonly known as Road Cess] are being increased from ₹ 2 per litre to ₹ 6 per litre only.

IV. ORES and METALS:

1) Export duty on upgraded ilmenite is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

2) Basic Customs Duty on metallurgical coke is being increased from 2.5% to 5%.

3) SAD on melting scrap of iron and steel including stainless steel scrap for melting, copper scrap, brass scrap and aluminium scrap is being reduced from 4% to 2%.

4) The tariff rate of basic customs duty on goods falling under all the tariff items of Chapters 72 and 73 that is iron and steel and articles of iron or steel, is being increased from 10% to 15%. However, there is no change in the existing effective rates of basic customs duty on these goods.

V. ELECTRONICS/HARDWARE:

1. All goods except populated printed circuit boards, falling under any Chapter of Customs Tariff, for use in the manufacture of ITA Bound Items, are being fully exempted from SAD, subject to actual user condition;

2. Excise duty structure for mobile handsets including cellular phones is being changed from 1% without CENVAT credit or 6% with CENVAT credit to 1% without CENVAT credit or 12.5% with CENVAT credit. NCCD of 1% on mobile handsets including cellular phone, remains unchanged.

3. Excise duty structure of 2% without CENVAT credit or 12.5% with credit is being prescribed for tablet computers. Parts, components and accessories (falling under any Chapter) for use in the manufacture of tablet computers and their sub-parts for use in the manufacture of parts, components and accessories are being fully exempted from BCD, CVD and SAD, subject to actual user condition.

4. Basic Customs Duty on ‘metal parts’ for use in the manufacture of electrical insulators is being reduced from 10% to 7.5%, subject to actual user condition.

5. Basic Customs Duty on Ethylene-Propylene-non-conjugated-Diene Rubber (EPDM), Water blocking tape and Mica glass tape, for use in the manufacture of insulated wires and cables, is being reduced from 10% to 7.5%, subject to actual user condition.

6. Basic Customs Duty on magnetron of upto 1 KW for use in the manufacture of domestic microwave ovens is being reduced from 5% to Nil, subject to actual user condition.

7. Basic Customs Duty on zeolite, ceria zirconia compounds and cerium compounds for use in the manufacture of washcoats, which are used in manufacture of catalytic converters, is being reduced from 7.5% to 5%, subject to actual user condition.

8. Basic Customs Duty on specified components for use in the manufacture of specified CNC lathe machines and machining centres is being reduced from 7.5% to 2.5%, subject to actual user condition.

9. Basic Customs Duty on C- Block for Compressor, Over Load Protector (OLP) and Positive thermal co-efficient and Crank Shaft for compressor for use in the manufacture of Refrigerator compressors is being reduced from 7.5% to 5%.

10. Basic Customs Duty on specified inputs for use in the manufacture of flexible medical video endoscope is being reduced from 5% to 2.5%.

11. Basic Customs Duty on HDPE for use in the manufacture of telecommunication grade optical fibre cables is being reduced from 7.5% to Nil, subject to actual user condition.

12. Basic Customs Duty on Black Light Unit Module for use in the manufacture of LCD/LED TV panels is being reduced from 10% to Nil, subject to actual user condition.

13. Basic Customs Duty on Organic LED (OLED) TV panels is being reduced from 10% to Nil.

14. CVD and SAD are being fully exempted on specified raw materials [battery, titanium, palladium wire, eutectic wire, silicone resins and rubbers, solder paste, reed switch, diodes, transistors, capacitors, controllers, coils (steel), tubing (silicone)] for use in the manufacture of pacemakers, subject to actual user condition.

15. SAD on inputs for use in the manufacture of LED drivers and MCPCB for LED lights, fixtures and lamps is being fully exempted, subject to actual user condition.

16. Basic Customs Duty on Digital Still Image Video Camera capable of recording video with minimum resolution of 800x600 pixels, at minimum 23 frames per second, for at least 30 minutes in a single sequence, using the maximum storage (including the expanded) capacity and parts and components for use in the manufacture of such cameras is being reduced to Nil.

VI. RENEWABLEENERGY:

1) Basic Customs Duty is being fully exempted on Evacuated Tubes with three layers of solar selective coating for use in the manufacture of solar water heater and system, subject to actual user condition.

2) Basic Customs Duty on Active Energy Controller (AEC) for use in the manufacture of Renewable Power System (RPS) Inverters is being reduced to 5%, subject to certification by MNRE.

VII. AUTOMOBILES:

1) The tariff rate of Basic Customs Duty on Commercial Vehicles is being increased from 10% to 40%. The effective Basic customs duty on such Vehicles is being increased from 10% to 20%. However, customs duty on such vehicles in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) condition and electrically operated vehicles of heading 8702 including those in CKD condition will continue to be at 10%.

2) Concessional customs duties of Nil Basic Customs Duty, 6% excise/CVD and Nil SAD on specified goods for use in the manufacture of Electrically operated vehicles and Hybrid motor vehicles, presently available upto 31.03.2015, are being extended upto 31.03.2016.

VIII. HEALTH:

1) Basic Customs Duty and CVD is being fully exempted on artificial heart (left ventricular assist device).

IX. MISCELLANEOUS:

1) Parts and components of cash dispenser and automatic bank note dispensers [heading 8473 40] are exempt from Basic Customs Duty. However, since the classification of parts was not mentioned in the relevant notification, there were doubts about the scope of the exemption for parts of cash dispenser and automatic bank note dispensers. As the ‘parts and components of cash dispensers and automatic bank note dispensers’ were specifically included in the description of goods even though their classification was not, it is clarified that the benefit of exemption from Basic Customs Duty was available to parts and components of cash dispenser and automatic bank note dispensers. Prospectively, the S. No. 408 of the Notification No. 12/2012- Customs dated 17-3-2012 is being amended to include the classification [8473 40] of parts and components of cash dispensers and automatic bank note dispensers.

2) S. No. 507 of Notification No. 12/2012-Customs dated 17-3-2012 prescribes Nil BCD and NIL CVD for goods imported for setting up a Mega Power Project specified in List No. 32A of the said Notification. In case of imports for a project for which the certificate regarding Mega Power Project status is provisional, the exemption is, inter alia, subject to condition that importer furnishes a bank guarantee or fixed deposit receipt for a term of 36 months or more. This condition is being amended to prescribe furnishing of bank guarantee or fixed deposit receipt for a period of 66 months. This condition is also applicable to imports under S. No. 508 of Notification No. 12/2012-Customs dated 17-3-2012 .

3) Bulk drugs used in the manufacture of the specified drugs (listed in the table annexed to the exemption notification) are either exempt from BCD or attract concessional rate of 5% BCD, under Sl. No. 148(B) and 147(B) respectively of notification No 12/2012-Customs, if the procedure as laid down in the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, 1996 is followed by the importers. Further, these bulk drugs used in the manufacture of the specified drugs are also exempt from excise duty, under S. No. 108 (B) of the notification 12/2012- CE, provided the procedure laid down in the Central Excise (Removal of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, is followed. In this context, clarification has been sought whether a separate certificate issued under the above mentioned Central Excise Rules is required when a similar certificate under the above mentioned Customs Rules issued from the same jurisdictional Central Excise officer is already produced. It is being clarified that there is no need to separately comply with Central Excise (Removal of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, 2001 for the purposes of availing of the CVD exemption under notification No.12/2012-CE, if the procedure as laid down in the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rule, 1996 is already followed by the importer for availing exemption / concession from BCD on the same bulk drug.

4) Notification No.12/2012-Customs [S.No.148(C)] fully exempts Basic Customs Duty and CVD leviable on life saving drugs and medicines imported by an individual for personal use subject to the Condition No.10, which stipulates that importer produces a certificate (in prescribed form) issued by the Director General or Deputy Director General or Assistant Director General, Health Services, New Delhi, Director of Health Services of the State Government or the District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon of the district, in each individual case, that the goods are life saving drugs or medicines. The prescribed Form is being amended so as to provide that such certificate shall be valid for a period of one year in case of patients who have to import such drugs and medicines on a regular basis.

5) CVD and SAD exemption on specified goods imported for use by Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) are being withdrawn.

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