Regulation of animal feed imports: permitted additives listed with mandatory labeling, withdrawal periods and antibiotic prohibitions.
Imports of animal feed additives, premixes and supplements are to be regulated strictly in accordance with the annexed consolidated list; manufacturers must label final packs with ingredients and any mandatory withdrawal period indicated for particular items. Fermentation derived products must not contain viable production strains or their DNA, certain products require export country feed grade certificates, and usage specific restrictions and withdrawal periods apply. Some antibiotics and anticoccidial combinations are not recommended for import due to antimicrobial resistance. Maximum residue limits in foodstuffs shall follow the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Second Amendment Regulations, 2018.

Plastic packaging exemption: imported goods are excluded from the PWM rules' labelling requirement on packaging.
The notice clarifies that the labelling requirement in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016-mandating producer/brand name, registration number and thickness for carry bags and plastic packaging-is not applicable to plastic packaging used for imported goods; similar non applicability extends to cases covered by the Legal Metrology packaged commodities exception after regulatory approval and to instances where printing the information is technically infeasible under applicable labelling guidelines. Environmental compensation applies for non compliance generally, but the specified labelling provision is excluded for imported packaging.

Waiver of late filing charges for bills of entry due to system maintenance allows belated filings for affected vessel entries.
Late filing charges for Bills of Entry are waived where belated filing was caused by planned continuous maintenance of the ICEGATE system; the waiver covers Bills of Entry relating to affected vessel Entry Inward dates and is issued as a standing order for departmental implementation, with stakeholders asked to report difficulties to the Deputy Commissioner of Customs (Appraising Main), Chennai II (Import).

RoDTEP rate implementation expanded to additional export sectors; exporters can claim benefit for eligible shipping bills.
Revised RoDTEP rates under an updated Appendix 4R expanding coverage to specified items in Chapters 28, 29, 30 and 73 have been loaded into the Customs EDI System; exporters may claim RoDTEP benefits for eligible shipping bills filed in the EDI System from the system effective timestamp, and operational issues should be reported to the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai-IV by email.

Sugar export restriction extended; mill wise export quotas allocated and subject to quota, documentation, and compliance requirements.
The Government extended the restriction on export of sugar (raw, refined and white) until 31 October 2023 and allocated a total mill wise export quota for sugar season 2022-23, pro rated among eligible mills based on three year average production. Mills may export only their allocated quota within the prescribed window, may surrender or exchange quota under specified procedures, must support exports with required agreements and invoices, upload daily export details on the departmental portal, and face enforcement under the Essential Commodities Act and the Foreign Trade Act for violations.

Postal exports: exporters can file PBE online, deposit parcels locally, and obtain digital customs clearance through the PBE system.
The Regulations create a PBE Automated System enabling exporters to register, file electronic postal export declarations, generate Article Booking IDs and PBE numbers, upload supporting documents, deposit parcels at designated Booking Post Offices for secure transfer to Foreign Post Offices, and obtain digital customs assessment, query handling, and clearance; authorised agents must comply with broker licensing rules and exporters must retain export records for five years.

Export compliance for mobile phones requires complete declarations, manufacturer NOC, IMEI lists, and restrictions on activated devices.
Export of mobile phones requires fully completed statutory shipping bill declarations and electronic upload of invoice, purchase order, packing list, genuine IMEI list and a manufacturer/authorized dealer NOC. Used, activated or modified phones are not eligible for export benefits without MOEF clearance and a supporting NOC. Claiming any export incentive mandates uploading all supporting documents and establishing Country of Origin for Drawback/RODTEP claims.

Health certificate requirement for imported milk, pork and fish: integrated certificates accepted; implementation timeline extended.
Imports of milk and milk products, pork and pork products, and fish and fish products must be accompanied by a Health Certificate from the exporting country's Competent Authority in the prescribed format, containing shipment and product details, transport/storage conditions, and attestations on establishment approval, hygiene/HACCP implementation, compliance with Indian food product standards, microbiological criteria, residue and additive limits, authorised official signature and limited validity; an integrated sanitary/veterinary certificate is acceptable if it includes all required information.

Integration of AQCS-ICS enables online message exchange with ICEGATE for electronic NoC transmission and risk-based selectivity.
Integration of AQCS-ICS into ICEGATE migrates AQCS NoC processing from ICES to online message exchange, enabling electronic transmission of NoCs and real-time trader visibility. Customs will require upload of Veterinary Health Certificates (853AQ1), Laboratory Reports/COA (001AQ1), eSanchit IRNs for Sanitary Import Permits (911DF1) and an item-level AQ002 declaration for specified CTIs; risk-based selectivity will be introduced in stages, post-filing documents may be submitted via ICEGATE or AQCS-ICS portal until full integration, and Customs will accept electronically received Release Orders. Annexures list CTIs and leather-product exclusions.

Lifetime validity of customs broker licences confirmed; intimation by customs extends licences without physical endorsement.
Pune Customs confirms that operational customs broker licences meeting prescribed conditions shall have lifetime validity unless revoked; formal intimation sent to the licensee's office or email on record will suffice to extend licence validity without any physical visit or endorsement. Photo identity cards/Customs Passes issued to personnel of a customs broker shall be co-terminus with the customs broker licence validity.

Customs broker registration requirement: Brokers must join one local association; Pune brokers advised to enroll locally.
Customs brokers operating where a registered Customs Brokers' Association exists must enroll as members of that Association in each jurisdiction of operation and may not be enrolled in more than one Association in the same jurisdiction at any given time. Accordingly, all customs brokers under the Pune Customs Commissionerate are advised to enroll with the Pune Customs Brokers Association at the specified office address.

Custodianship extension requires bonds, contingency insurance, operational safeguards and custodial liability for loss or pilferage in transit.
Extension of custodianship is granted subject to maintenance and renewal of prescribed bonds and contingency insurance, compliance with Sections 45(2) and 45(3) of the Customs Act and Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, and strict custodial liability for loss, pilferage, theft, fire or damage to goods in custody or during transit, including responsibility for duty and penalties on lost goods and obligation to furnish separate bonds for export duty incentives and secure transport to gateway ports.

Anonymous escalation addresses delayed Bill of Entry assessment through ICEGATE's faceless assessment grievance tracking mechanism
The Anonymised Escalation Mechanism enables ICEGATE-registered users to submit grievances about Bills of Entry delayed in faceless assessment. A grievance may be lodged after the Bill of Entry has remained pending for at least 24 hours, provided the Import General Manifest number and date have been entered. Users submit the ICEGATE ID, Bill of Entry number and date, and port code through the Helpdesk or ICEGATE portal. A grievance number is generated where the criteria are met, and status may be tracked using that number or the Bill of Entry details.

Anonymised escalation mechanism routes delayed Bill of Entry grievances while preserving officer and assessment-location anonymity under faceless assessment.
The Anonymised Escalation Mechanism enables importers or Customs Brokers to register ICEGATE grievances concerning delayed assessment of a Bill of Entry under Faceless Assessment, while preserving the anonymity of the assessing officer and assessment location. Tickets are routed in ICES to VDN or ADN officers according to whether the Bill of Entry is pending at the Faceless Assessment Group port or port of import, and transfer with the Bill of Entry when its assessment location changes. Officers can view the Bill of Entry status for monitoring and follow-up. After assessment is completed, the ticket is closed in the system and reflected as closed on the ICEGATE grievance dashboard.

Restricted import ports limit high-risk food imports to designated ports, requiring centralized handling and stakeholder consultation.
Imports of specified high-risk food categories-milk and milk products; egg powder; meat and meat products including poultry and fish; infant nutrition foods; and nutraceuticals/health supplement and special-dietary medical foods-are permitted only through a prescribed list of 61 ports directly manned and managed by the food import regulatory authority. Stakeholders are invited to comment within thirty days, the restriction has a stated commencement date, and customs authorities are directed to notify trade, sensitize officers, and report implementation difficulties.

Registration of foreign food manufacturing facilities required; exporting countries must submit manufacturer lists for Indian registration.
Mandatory registration of foreign food manufacturing facilities producing Milk and Milk Products, Meat and Meat Products (including poultry, fish), Egg powder, Infant Food, and Nutraceuticals, effective 1 February 2023. Competent Authorities of exporting countries must submit lists of existing and intending exporters in the prescribed format to designated email addresses; registrations will be carried out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on its portal. Customs authorities are instructed to sensitize trade and report implementation difficulties to the Board.

Ceva Logistics' Haldia CFS custodianship extended to 03/11/2024 with bond, insurance, indemnity and compliance conditions.
M/s Ceva Logistics India Pvt. Ltd., successor to M/s LCL Logistix (India) Pvt. Ltd., is appointed as Custodian and its CFS retained as a Customs Area, with custodianship and Customs Cargo Service Provider status extended until 03/11/2024, subject to review, suspension or revocation for non compliance with the Customs Act, 1962 and the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009; the custodian must furnish a Rs. 8,64,00,000 bond, maintain Rs. 30 crore insurance (both subject to periodic review), indemnify the Commissioner for loss to goods, and comply with all applicable statutory provisions and prior public notice conditions.

Anonymised Escalation Mechanism enables importers and brokers to anonymously escalate delayed bill of entry assessments.
An anonymised escalation mechanism on ICEGATE allows importers and customs brokers to file grievances for a Bill of Entry pending assessment (eligible after 24 hours or where IGM details exist). Grievance tickets are routed anonymously to officers with VDN or ADN roles in ICES, follow the Bill of Entry when transferred between FAG Port and Port of Import, are monitored by nominated nodal officers, and are closed automatically when assessment is completed, with status visible on the ICEGATE Grievance Dashboard.

Faceless Assessment expands anonymized escalation and centralized RMS examination orders for targeted goods and monitoring procedures.
Implementation expands Faceless Assessment by formalising an Anonymized Escalation Mechanism that operates after arrival of goods and requires Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners to monitor lodged aspects, ensure prompt successive action, identify root causes, and adopt administrative or systemic measures to prevent recurrence and expedite customs clearances. The Board also extends system-generated centralized Standard Examination Orders through the Risk Management System to additional goods under Phase 1, Part 2, harmonising risk-based post-assessment examinations across assessment groups.

Parboiled rice identification: permit provisional export on bond with sample testing, exempt trusted AEOs from routine sampling.
Directs a consistency focused process to verify exports declared as parboiled rice: draw representative samples at export and send for laboratory testing, permit provisional export on a bond pending test results, and exempt Tier 2 and Tier 3 Authorized Economic Operators from routine sampling and bonding based on self declaration unless the Risk Management System or specific intelligence requires otherwise.