(1)(a) Where no amount or rate of drawback has been determined in respect of any goods, any exporter of such goods may, within three months from the date relevant for the applicability of the amount or rate of drawback in terms of sub-rule (3) of rule 5, apply to the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, having jurisdiction over the place of export, for determination of the amount or rate of drawback thereof stating all the relevant facts including the proportion in which the materials or components or input services are used in the production or manufacture of goods and the duties paid on such materials or components or the tax paid on input services:

Provided that-

(i) in case an exporter is exporting the aforesaid goods from more than one place of export, he shall apply to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner of Customs, having jurisdiction over any one of the said places of export;

(ii) the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may extend the aforesaid period of three months by a period of three months and the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may further extend the period by a period of six months;

(iii) the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner or Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may, on an application and after making such enquiry as he thinks fit, grant extension or refuse to grant extension after recording in writing the reasons for such refusal;

(iv) an application fee equivalent to 1% of the FOB value of exports or one thousand rupees whichever is less, shall be payable for applying for grant of extension to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be and an application fee of 2% of the FOB value or two thousand rupees whichever is less, shall be payable for applying for grant of extension to the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be.

(b) On receipt of an application under clause (a), the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, shall, after making or causing to be made such inquiry as it deems fit, determine the amount or rate of drawback in respect of such goods.

(2)(a) Where an exporter desires that he may be granted drawback provisionally, he may, while making an application under clause (a) of sub-rule (1) apply to the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, that a provisional amount be granted to him towards drawback on the export of such goods pending determination of the amount or rate of drawback under clause (b) of that sub-rule.

(b) The Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may, after considering the application, allow provisionally payment of an amount not exceeding the amount claimed by the exporter in respect of such export:

Provided that the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may, for the purpose of allowing provisional payment of drawback in respect of such export, require the exporter to enter into a general bond for such amount, and subject to such conditions, as he may direct; or to enter into a bond for an amount not exceeding the full amount claimed by such exporter as drawback in respect of a particular consignment and binding himself,-

(i) to refund the amount so allowed provisionally, if for any reason, it is found that the duty drawback was not admissible; or

(ii) to refund the excess, if any, paid to such exporter provisionally if it is found that a lower amount was payable as duty drawback:

Provided further that when the amount or rate of drawback payable on such goods is finally determined, the amount provisionally paid to such exporter shall be adjusted against the drawback finally payable and if the amount so adjusted is in excess or falls short of the drawback finally payable, such exporter shall repay to the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, the excess or be entitled to the deficiency, as the case may be.

(c) The bond referred to in clause (b) may be with such surety or security as the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, may direct.

(3) Where the Central Government considers it necessary so to do, it may,-

(a) revoke the rate of drawback or amount of drawback, determined under clause (b) of sub-rule (1) by the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be; or

(b) direct the Principal Commissioner of Customs or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, to withdraw the rate of drawback or amount of drawback determined.

Explanation.- For the purpose of this rule, "place of export" means customs station or any other place appointed for loading of export goods under section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) from where the exporter has exported the goods or intends to export the goods in respect of which determination of amount or rate of drawback is sought.