Report by the Secretariat (WT/TPR/S/249): pg 179, para 147: New Zealand would be interested in clarification about which "restricted items" referred to in paragraph 147 have an automatic import licensing system and which have a non automatic import licence? If any products have a non automatic licensing system, New Zealand would be grateful for an explanation about the approval process for the non automatic licences.
Reply: India will be notifying the same shortly. Details of the import restrictions are stated in the ITC(HS) classification book and paragraphs 2.10, 2.31 to 2.42 of the Handbook of Procedure, Volume 1. These documents are available in the website: dgft.gov.in.
New Zealand 5:
Report by the Secretariat (WT/TPR/S/249): pg 172, para 129: Does the Directorate General or Foreign Trade (DGFT) automatically approve applications by eligible entities to import product under the TRQs? If an application is not automatically approved, we would be grateful for an explanation about the criteria used in assessing an application. Have any applications by an eligible entity to import product under India's TRQs ever been turned down and if so on what basis?
Reply: List of eligible entities for allocation of quota have been stated in paragraph 2.59.1 of the Handbook of Procedure, Volume I and is available in the website: http://dgft.gov.in. All eligible entities are eligible to avail quotas as per request of applicants received and they may make application to DGFT in the prescribed format. Completed application forms along with prescribed documents must reach on or before 1 March of each financial year preceeding to the year of quota. Imports have to be completed before 31 March of financial year i.e. consignments must be cleared by customs authorities before this date. No such application has been turned down in the recent past.
New Zealand 6:
Report by the Secretariat (WT/TPR/S/249): pg 256, para 410 notes that initially sugar was only able to be imported under India's TRQ by four companies but this restriction was removed. New Zealand would like to know on what basis the restriction on the number of eligible entities was removed?
