Deposit of specified bank notes on arrival: declaration, Customs verification and RBI submission are required under the Ordinance.
An Ordinance rendered certain high denomination bank notes non legal tender and created penal liabilities while allowing a limited grace period for tendering by residents and non residents subject to Foreign Exchange import restrictions. Arriving passengers carrying such notes must complete a prescribed declaration form, have Customs strictly count and stamp the form, and submit it to specified Reserve Bank offices for deposit; Customs are to retain records, facilitate the process at entry points and coordinate publicity and staffing.

Pending drawback claims require EDI query responses and documents, failing which matters may be finalised on departmental records.
Pending drawback claims require exporters to answer EDI/ICEGATE queries and submit required physical documents before processing. Claims are to be finalised through the normal procedure. If an exporter or customs broker fails to provide EDI replies and documents, a show-cause notice setting out the grounds and a personal-hearing date will be issued. Failure to reply within 15 days of receipt permits finalisation of the drawback matter on available departmental records.

Harmonized System update: new tariff nomenclature enters force and contact channels set for trade queries.
Update of the Harmonized System nomenclature will take effect on 1 January 2017 and the ICES BCD directory has been revised; a control room is established to receive trade queries, with EDI Section handling system issues and Appraising Main (Import/Export) handling tariff interpretation, and designated Groups/Sections and officers identified for sector-specific tariff queries.

WCO Harmonized System 2017 adoption: customs classifications must follow HSN2017 for all import and export filings from 01-01-2017.
Amendments in the Finance Act 2016 require adoption of the WCO Harmonized System (HSN) 2017 nomenclature in place of the 2012 version from 01 January 2017, comprising 233 tariff-line amendments across key sectors. Importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders must ensure classifications follow HSN 2017 when filing customs declarations for goods to be imported or exported on and after that date. Customs RES software providers must update their systems in line with HSN 2017; links to the Finance Act and the correlation table are provided for reference.

Empanelment of chartered engineers for valuation of imported second-hand machinery; advisory reports, one-year panel, applicant certification required.
Empanelment of Chartered Engineers for valuation of imported second-hand machinery and equipment requires affiliation to the Institution of Engineers (India), documented specialization and experience, submission of supporting certificates, and adherence to CBEC Circular No. 25/2015; empanelled engineers provide advisory certificates, bear service charges by importers, serve on a one-year reviewable panel, must submit periodic self-appraisals, and face removal or penalties for false information.

Import FCL container clearance: warehouse option and No Use Bond allow out-of-charge pending PGA NOC.
Importers may file a Warehouse Bill of Entry for FCL consignments requiring PGA NOCs or convert an unpaid Home Consumption BE under section 46(5); PGAs may sample in CFS or after warehousing. Docks Officer may grant out-of-charge for physical warehousing without PGA NOC if the importer furnishes an accepted No Use Bond, customs seal is recorded and preserved, storage location is notified, and importer produces PGA NOC at ex-bonding. Non-compliance, tampering, unauthorised dealing, or failure to produce NOC exposes the importer to legal and penal action and possible return, re-export, or destruction of goods.

Import clearance facilitation: sealed FCLs may be warehoused pending PGA NOC subject to a No Use Bond and sampling requirements.
Procedure allows importers to file Warehouse or Home Consumption Bills of Entry for FCLs requiring PGA NOCs; sampling may occur after physical warehousing or at CFS, and out-of-charge for warehousing may be granted pending PGA NOC where sampling/examination is done or where the importer furnishes a No Use Bond. Home Consumption entries may be converted to Warehouse entries prior to duty payment; Docks Officers may permit out-of-charge on an accepted bond and customs sealing, with importer obligations to produce PGA NOC at ex-bonding and to notify storage locations.

Extension of import/export permission for terminal operations maintained under existing customs scheme conditions and notifications.
Extension of permission is granted to permit continued import and export of permissible goods through Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Pvt. Ltd. for a further period of one year, maintaining the same conditions and provisions as Public Notice 26/2015, and applying to operations under the EPCG Scheme, Advance Authorisation Scheme and Duty Free Import Authorisation Scheme as per Notifications No.16/2015, No.18/2015 and No.19/2015.

Advance filing of Bill of Entry mandatory for LCL cargo; permits amendments with shipping line penalties and enhanced facilitation.
Advance filing obligations are extended to LCL cargo by mandating Advance filing of Bills of Entry in the ICES system effective 01.01.2017 to reduce clearance delays and dwell time. Amendments to IGMs/documents are already streamlined and amendments to Advance/Prior Bills of Entry will be processed within two hours upon proper submission. Errors by Shipping Lines may attract penalties recoverable from the Shipping Line, while importers will not be penalised or have consignments withheld for non payment. Advance/Prior Bills of Entry will receive enhanced facilitation.

Direct Port Delivery extended to main importers to reduce dwell time and trade costs under existing procedural conditions.
Extension of Direct Port Delivery permission to specified main importers at Nhava Sheva is announced to reduce dwell time and costs; the facility previously available to ACP/AEO clients and 100% EOUs will be extended to importers listed in Annexure A. All operational conditions and compliance requirements of Public Notice No. 161/2016 remain applicable to these importers, and stakeholders are invited to report implementation difficulties to the Commissioner.

Let Export Order requirement: customs clearance must precede terminal entry, with document processing prioritised for reefers and perishables.
A Standard Operating Procedure mandates issuance of a Let Export Order before export containers enter port terminals, with documentation to be completed at a new Document Processing Area in the Parking Plaza. This replaces checklist based gate approvals, reduces duplicate submissions, aligns Customs processing with Gate Automation and RFID systems, directs factory stuffed and self sealed containers away from Buffer Yard to the Document Processing Area or designated CFSs, and prioritises out of turn processing for refrigerated and perishable consignments marked on shipping bills.

Custodian appointment: MIAL authorized to hold and manage export and bonded cargo under prescribed customs conditions.
M/S. Mumbai International Airport Limited is appointed as Custodian and approved as Customs Cargo Services Provider for the Export Heavy and Bonded Cargo Terminal at Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai under Section 8(a) and 141(2) of the Customs Act, 1962 and Regulation 10 of the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009, subject to compliance with statutory provisions, recordkeeping, security, procedural restrictions on removal and entry of goods, infrastructural and administrative obligations, cost-recovery for posted customs staff, publication of charges, monthly reporting of long-stored cargo, and an initial two-year term renewable or revocable for non-compliance.

Customs Cargo Service Provider approval required for Shipping Lines, Freight Forwarders and NVOCCs under handling regulations.
Shipping Lines, Freight Forwarders and NVOCCs that receive, store, deliver, dispatch or otherwise handle imported or export goods in a customs area are Customs Cargo Service Provider under the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009 and must obtain approval to act as such; registrations for manifest filing or continuity bonds do not substitute for that approval, although existing bonds may be accepted for Regulation 5 subject to an undertaking to comply with the Regulations.

Administrative control of bonded warehouses transferred to Deputy/Asst Commissioner, ICD Bangalore for licensing, returns and refund administration.
Administrative control for filing periodical returns, receiving licence applications, processing requests to amend warehouse areas, and conducting verifications for public and private bonded warehouses within the Bangalore City Commissionerate is vested in the Deputy/Asst. Commissioner of Customs, ICD, Bangalore. The Deputy/Asst. Commissioner (Warehouse), ICD, Bangalore is the proper authority for raising demands and granting refunds arising from clearances through the erstwhile Customs Division and for refunding unutilised PLA balances held by warehouses.

Cargo dwell time publication required monthly by CFSs; data must be posted online and submitted to customs.
CFSs must compute and publish monthly cargo dwell time separately for export and import-average difference between "gate in time" and "gate out time" for normal clearances-in the prescribed format, update it on their website, and communicate the data to Customs by the 5th of the succeeding month for display on JNCH by the 10th. Non-submission will be shown as "Not Submitted." CFSs must also email monthly details of consignments not cleared within 24 hours of OOC; best-performing CFSs will be publicly benchmarked and awarded Certificates of Recognition, and non-compliance will be pursued through ADC/JC (PG).

SMTP issuance for rail-bound ICD cargo enables early transfer and automated transmission despite vessel discharge status.
SMTPs for cargo bound to ICDs by rail may be issued before full vessel discharge to expedite transfer and must be strictly complied with by all officers. Where the online system errs, the Boarding Section is authorised, alongside the Import Noting Section, to approve the IGM number so SMTPs are automated and transmitted to shipping lines, terminals and ICD customs without waiting for full discharge, including on weekends and holidays; operational issues should be reported to the Additional/Joint Commissioner.

Rotation Number procedure: email prescribed spreadsheet; customs will record in ICES and return the allotted rotation number promptly.
Prescribes a simplified administrative procedure for obtaining a Rotation Number for outbound vessels: shipping lines must email the prescribed Annexure A spreadsheet to the designated customs address; customs will record entries in the ICES system, generate and annotate the Rotation Number on the same form, and return the completed form. Electronic submissions should originate from the shipping line domain or include a scanned signed application if that is not possible; a contact is provided for technical difficulties and a calendar-year-wise numbering and file-naming convention is prescribed.

Outsourcing by authorised couriers: prior intimation suffices for pick up, local delivery, official transport and housekeeping.
The Board relaxed the requirement under Regulation 13(j) so that for pick up or local delivery of courier packages, transportation for officials, and housekeeping activities, authorised couriers need only provide prior intimation to Customs rather than obtain written permission; this applies to functions before entry inwards/after clearance of imports and before carting in/after 'Let Export' of exports. The authorised courier must exercise due diligence before outsourcing, while permission remains necessary for other core activities to protect supply chain integrity and revenue.

Express Cargo Clearance System rollout enables automated courier clearance under electronic declaration regulations, governed by CBEC systems oversight.
Rollout of the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS) as a pilot at CSI Airport, Mumbai enables automated assessment and clearance under the Courier Imports and Exports (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2010. ECCS is provided on a public-private partnership turnkey basis, will interoperate with ICES/ICEGATE, operate under jurisdictional customs control, and vests all ECCS intellectual property, including source code and documentation, in the Central Board of Excise and Customs. Operational governance, security, change management, continuity and training requirements will be specified by the Directorate of Systems & Data Management.

Container scanning procedure requires cancellation of out of charge and examination where containers are held or marked suspicious.
Where OOC is given at the JNCH facilitation centre but at the CFS gate pass stage the Bill of Entry or any container is found under hold by an investigating agency or marked suspicious by CSD, the CFS must withhold gate pass issuance, refer the Bill of Entry to the AC/DC(Import, Docks) to cancel the out of charge and conduct further examination; DPD containers continue to follow the Facility Notice scanning priority and clearance endorsement by CSD, and if no scanning list is generated the Public Notice 15/2013 procedure applies.