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The 57th GST Council (8 Oct 2026) recommended faster refunds — acknowledgement in 10 days, 90% sanctioned on risk basis, orders in 3 working days — plus refunds on plant & machinery, decriminalisation and a higher prosecution threshold. Changes take effect only via CBIC notifications.
Adani Airport Holdings has reportedly restricted acceptance of Russia-bound air cargo booked on Aeroflot and OFAC-designated Volga-Dnepr at Mumbai, citing US sanctions. Reports put stranded freight (pharma, machinery, spares) at roughly 15 to 150 tonnes with demurrage mounting. Exporters shipping to Russia via Mumbai should re-route.
Almost all major ocean carriers are preparing a tentative return to the Suez/Red Sea on Asia-Europe sailings, with COSCO's first westbound transit in over two years on 4 Oct 2026 and Premier Alliance bookings from November. Drewry's WCI fell to ~US$4,434/40ft; Asia-Europe rates have dropped 12 weeks running. A corridor read for India-Europe shippers.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal announced on 7 Oct 2026 a new FTA Utilisation Cell to help businesses tap India's trade pacts — EFTA TEPA, the UK CETA (in force since 15 July) and the coming EU deal. Working with Export Promotion Councils, industry bodies and states, it aims to turn signed agreements into actual preferential-tariff uptake.
India and Canada began the fifth round of CEPA negotiations from 5 Oct 2026 (India's team in Canada), after the fourth round closed in New Delhi on 18 Sep. Both sides aim to conclude by December 2026, with two chapters reportedly finalised and a goal of ~US$50bn in bilateral trade by 2030. A corridor read for India-to-Canada exporters.
DGFT Public Notice No. 32/2026-27 (9 Oct 2026) allocates a 5,841 MT tariff-rate-quota window for sugar exports (HS 1701) from India to the EU for 2026-27. APEDA administers eligibility and recommends the Certificate of Origin issued by the Additional DGFT, Mumbai; exports to the EU under the TRQ remain "Free" subject to conditions.
DGFT Policy Circular No. 02/2026-27 (9 Oct 2026) clarifies that silver under ITC(HS) 71069221 — "Restricted" under Notification 17/2026-27 — may be imported against a valid DGFT Import Authorisation alone. Nominated-Agency, IIBX Qualified-Jeweller or EOU status is not an extra condition unless the authorisation itself says so.
DGFT Notification 42/2026-27 (9 Oct 2026) amends FTP Para 4.49 so eligible foreign entities — diamond miners, sightholders and brokers/auction houses — may import, auction, sell and re-export rough diamonds in Special Notified Zones under customs supervision. Eligibility follows the Income-tax Act, 2025.
CBIC Circular No. 45/2026-Customs (9 Oct 2026) clarifies that stationary, grid-scale and industrial lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems under 8507 60 00 are NOT "power banks" and keep the 10% concessional BCD. Field officers had been denying the rate and charging 20%.
Around 6 Oct 2026, DGTR launched five anti-dumping investigations covering persulphates, clavulanic acid, counterbalance forklifts, internally grooved copper tubes and caprolactam — mainly from China, plus the EU, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia and the US. A separate countervailing probe targets the copper tubes.
CBIC Notification No. 81/2026-Customs (N.T.), dated 7 Oct 2026, amends the 1994 notified-ports notification to expand customs operations at Dabhol Port, Maharashtra: unloading of LNG and naphtha, power-project machinery (Ratnagiri Gas & Power), and import/export/repair of ships, barges and rigs (Square Port Shipyard).
India–US ocean freight has climbed to multi-month highs in October 2026 as vessel space tightens. Carriers diverting around the Strait of Hormuz, long port turnarounds and a reported ~40,000-container backlog at JNPT are squeezing capacity, lifting India–US East Coast rates to a reported 20-month high. A corridor read for exporters.
China–India container freight has more than doubled since mid-2026. Reports put Shanghai–Nhava Sheva near US$3,700/TEU (about US$3,850 per 40ft) and Shanghai–Chennai near US$3,600/TEU — up 20–25% month-on-month — as carriers shift capacity to East–West lanes and India's China imports surge. A corridor read for importers.
DGFT has extended the minimum import price (MIP) condition on two pharmaceutical APIs to 30 November 2026 — USD 111/kg on ATS-8 (Notif 39) and ₹1,774/kg on Sulfadiazine (Notif 40), both under ITC(HS) Chapter 29. Imports below the floor stay restricted; AA holders, EOUs and SEZ units are typically exempt.
DGFT Public Notice No. 31/2026-27 (30 Sep 2026) again extends the timeline for holders to surrender unutilised Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) allocated for the import of 10 lakh MT of raw sugar. It affects TRQ allottees who could not use their full quota and gives them more time to hand back the balance.
DPIIT's Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 (S.O. 3417(E), 25 Jun 2026) gives eligible Indian companies a structured route to keep supplying products covered by BIS Quality Control Orders while completing compliance. It is highly relevant now that the household electrical appliances QCO took effect on 1 October 2026 — one of ten QCOs it covers.
DGFT Notification No. 41/2026-27 (30 Sep 2026) continues the RoDTEP scheme to 31 December 2026 with rates unchanged, covering DTA units, Advance Authorisation holders, SEZ units and EOUs. This removes the uncertainty after rates were due to lapse on 30 September. Exporters can keep claiming RoDTEP on October shipping bills.
CBIC Notification No. 80/2026-Customs (N.T.), issued 30 Sep 2026 and effective 1 Oct 2026, revises the fortnightly tariff (benchmark) values used to assess customs duty on palm oils, palmolein, crude soybean oil, brass scrap, gold, silver and areca nut. Importers should reprice bills of entry filed from 1 October against the new values, which apply regardless of invoice price.
The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, issued by DPIIT, comes into force on 1 October 2026. It makes BIS certification (ISI mark via CRS/Scheme-I) mandatory for about 90 appliance categories — shavers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, air purifiers, kitchen equipment and more. Importers and foreign manufacturers must hold a valid BIS licence to clear or sell these goods.
Through Trade Notice No. 27/2026-27 (14 Sep 2026), DGFT has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of India's non-preferential rules of origin by amending Para 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023. The draft sets clear origin tests — substantial transformation beyond 'simple operations', change in tariff heading or 35% value addition — and keeps Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin issuance online via trade.gov.in, with self-certification for status-holder manufacturers.