Tag: Foreign Trade Policy

What Qualifies as ‘Goods’? Supreme Court Explains Why a Power Plant Isn’t Eligible for Export Benefits
Supreme Court

What Qualifies as ‘Goods’? Supreme Court Explains Why a Power Plant Isn’t Eligible for Export Benefits

The Supreme Court held that a press release announcing a policy change does not constitute a "Change in Law" under a Power Purchase Agreement, as only duly promulgated notifications have legal force. It further ruled that deemed export benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy are inapplicable to immovable, integrated power plants, as the policy is designed for movable "goods" and requires strict adherence to defined supply and procurement conditions. Facts Of The Case: The case involved appeals by Nabha Power Limited and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited against the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The dispute arose from a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) executed following a tariff-based competitive bidding process. The appellants claimed that post-bid notifications from the...
Supreme Court Says Export Incentives Can’t Be Rejected on Technicalities :Substance Over Form
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Says Export Incentives Can’t Be Rejected on Technicalities :Substance Over Form

The Supreme Court held that an inadvertent procedural error in shipping bills, duly corrected under Section 149 of the Customs Act, cannot extinguish an exporter's substantive right to claim benefits under the MEIS scheme. The Court emphasized that beneficial export promotion policies must be construed liberally, and administrative rigidity cannot override statutory entitlements. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, an exporter of corn starch, filed 54 shipping bills electronically through a customs broker for exports made between July and October 2017. The broker inadvertently failed to change the default declaration for claiming incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) from “No” to “Yes”. This clerical error prevented the automatic transmission of the bill...