End-use documentation requirement for specified imports to be uploaded, enabling quicker customs assessment and clearance.
Imports under Chapter 84 must be accompanied at filing by detailed supporting documents uploaded to the electronic repository, including product catalogues, technical writeups and end use evidence, and the image reference number for each uploaded document must be declared at the item level in the Bill of Entry to facilitate accurate classification and timely assessment.

Import of medical devices requires CDSCO licensing, standards conformity under Rule 7, and port-level drug controller verification.
Import of medical devices including surgical and medical examination gloves requires a CDSCO license: Class A and B from 01.04.2023 and Class C and D from 01.10.2023. All Bills of Entry must conform to Rule 7(1) standards hierarchy (BIS, then ISO/IEC or pharmacopeia, then validated manufacturer standards) and comply with Rule 44 before clearance. Consignments must be referred to the Assistant Drug Controller (I) at the port for verification prior to customs clearance.

Customs brokers must use Add OPS Employee on CBLMS for staff already operating under Form C, not submit new Form C intimations.
Advisory requires customs brokers whose CB Profile is validated by the Parent Policy Section to add employee details for other policy sections already operating under Form C using the "Add OPS Employee" tab; "Intimation under Form C" is reserved for fresh notifications to commence operations under regulation 7(3) of the Customs Broker Licensing Regulations, 2018. The CBLMS user manuals specify login, selection of Existing_CB_Profile or Application Form, required policy-section identifiers, association membership uploads, detailed employee data fields, file format/size limits, and the need to save each employee entry and finalize submission with an attestation of accuracy.

Empanelment of valuers: selection and contractual terms for valuation of seized goods, including fee structure and termination rights.
Empanelment of Government-approved valuers and qualified Chartered Accountants is invited to value seized or confiscated goods for fixation of fair price. Applicants must submit applications on plain paper stating a fixed percentage fee with a maximum limit and enclose certified proof of ICAI membership or government appointment. Selected applicants will enter a one-year engagement, must complete valuations within ten days of intimation, and either party may terminate with sixty days' notice. The division may accept or reject applications without assigning reasons.

Import of mobile phones now requires ICDR-issued IMEI certificates and Customs validation to block duplicate or fake IMEIs.
The SOP mandates importers obtain an IMEI certificate via the ICDR portal, which validates TAC/IMEI data against GSMA and ICDR checks and issues certificates with control numbers and QR codes when IMEIs are valid; applications are rejected for null, all-zero, duplicate or invalid IMEIs. Customs must validate presented IMEI certificates on ICDR, perform certificate level validation on 100% of consignments, and conduct random physical examinations of consignments and limited handset switching to verify IMEI conformity, while non genuine markings are handled under prevailing customs law.

Faceless Assessment: importers must upload legible, linked supporting documents to expedite customs assessment and avoid queries.
Faceless Assessment requires importers and customs brokers to upload complete, legible and correctly tagged supporting documents in e-Sanchit at the time of filing the Bill of Entry, including product catalogues, technical write-ups, value-supporting records and applicable compliance certificates. Preferential duty or exemption claims must be supported by origin or concessional documents and statutory conditions satisfied before filing. Specific group-wise and product-specific documents are listed in the Annexure, and additional documents may be requested by the assessing officer as necessary.

E-sanchit upload requirement: mandatory digital filing of supporting documents and attested engineer certificates for customs assessment.
Stakeholders are directed to upload all supporting documents and attested Chartered Engineer certificate on E-sanchit with an image reference number (IRN) before the examination officer records the examination report and forwards the bill of entry for assessment, as a standing order to enhance transparency, reduce physical interface and shorten dwell time.

ICES 1.5 at ICD Varnama enables mandatory electronic filing of import/export declarations and integrated licence, bond and tax workflows.
ICES 1.5 is launched at ICD Varnama to enable fully electronic filing and automated processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills. e SANCHIT uploads on ICEGATE (IRN linkage) are mandatory for supporting documents; DGFT IE Codes, customs broker and shipping line registration are required; designated banks handle duty/drawback payments. The system integrates licence/Bond registration and automatic debits, supports digital signatures for remote filing, enforces code standards (currency, unit, country, port), and prescribes procedures for assessment, query/amendment, inspection, RMS facilitation, and GST/IGST credit reconciliation.

Composite sampling for edible oils extended, permitting testing at FSSAI approved Kakinada laboratory pending review.
Facility permitting the drawal of one composite sample for one vessel of imported edible oils, with testing at the FSSAI approved local laboratory in Kakinada, is extended temporarily for six months from 01.04.2023 to 30.09.2023; all conditions of the original public notice remain in force and further renewal will be reviewed.

Determination of export incentive instrument: customs enforcement suspended pending administrative decision process on MEIS validity.
The Board directs the adjudicating authority to keep the show cause notice under section 28 of the Customs Act pending until the administrative decision on the MEIS instrument is rendered, because the licensing authority's determination on alleged wrongful availment and cancellation of the MEIS scrip is the primary basis for any customs recovery action.

Telecom equipment classification requires alphanumeric identifiers in import declarations to specify the applicable product category under customs tariffs.
Importers must declare an additional alphanumeric code/identifier in the Bill of Entry for goods classified under tariff headings 85176290 and 85176990 to indicate the applicable telecom product category; Annexure 1 illustrates covered product categories (optical transport/OTN, packet optical OLT/ONT, IP radios, VoIP/softswitch, carrier Ethernet/PTN/MPLS, LTE/MIMO/5G) and Annexure 2 provides the mapping of specified identifiers and 'Others' codes for unmapped items.

Electronic Certificates of Origin valid for preferential claims under ECTA when issued in prescribed format.
Electronic Certificates of Origin issued by Australian issuing bodies that conform to the prescribed format, bear authorized seals and signatures, and comply with Notification No. 112/2022-Customs (N.T.) are valid for claiming preferential treatment under the India-Australia ECTA; specimen seals and signatures are used for authenticity checks, verification requests must be channelled through the FTA Cell when necessary, importers must upload the e-COO to e-Sanchit and record unique reference particulars in the bill of entry, and a printed copy may be used in lieu of defacement of an original certificate.

Recovery of govt. dues from 1,434 exporters under Section 142; contact TRC to clear dues or submit proof by deadline.
A public list of 1,434 exporters with unpaid customs dues at Air Cargo Complex, Mumbai has been published and recovery proceedings under Section 142 of the Customs Act, 1962 have been initiated. Exporters listed must contact the Tax Recovery Cell by 18.03.2023 to clear dues with interest and penalty or submit proof of payment or pending appeals; otherwise recovery measures including attachment of movable and immovable assets under Section 142(1)(c)(ii) will follow.

Faceless Assessment: upload complete, legible documents and link them to the Bill of Entry to expedite customs clearance.
Complete, legible and properly linked supporting documents must be uploaded to eSanchit and tagged to the corresponding Bill of Entry to enable expedited Faceless Assessment; registrations, certifications, and statutory compliance (including BIS, LMPC, PESO, CPCB, EPRA, CDSCO, AERB and sectoral portal filings) must be completed before filing, and Annexure A lists additional group-wise documents that may be required, with assessing officers retaining discretion to seek further information.

Mandatory customs broker association enrollment requires single-jurisdiction membership; Board may grant extensions for compliance.
Each customs broker must enroll as a member of the customs broker's association in every jurisdiction where they operate if a registered and recognised association exists; brokers may not enroll in more than one association in the same jurisdiction. The Board may, on written representation showing reasons beyond the applicant's control, grant a further time period to comply with time-bound duties or obligations, with reasons recorded in writing. Brokers under the Mangaluru Commissionerate are advised to enroll with the Mangaluru Custom House Agents Association.

Customs broker profiles must use Add OPS Employee to record existing other policy section employees, not Form C.
Clarifies that after Parent Policy Section validation of a CB Profile on CBLMS, customs brokers already operating under prior Form C intimations must add employees of their Other Policy Sections via the Add OPS Employee function in Existing_CB_Profile, rather than filing a new Intimation under Form C, which is reserved for fresh intent to operate in a different policy section; details SOP access, required data and uploads for Add OPS Employee and Intimation under Form C, and notes Parent Policy Section validation is a pre requisite for adding OPS details.

Label rectification at port permitted; authorised officer must verify compliance before sampling and testing proceeds.
Imported food consignments with non compliant labels may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non detachable sticker or equivalent without altering the original label; the Authorised Officer or representative must verify compliance during visual inspection and consignments will be sampled and tested only if labels are found compliant. Labels found non compliant by laboratory analysis may be rectified and an NOC issued after AO verification. Clove Stem imports are to be tested against horizontal safety parameters and specified volatile oil content until standards are notified.

Body worn camera recording mandated for boarding officers during vessel inspections to enhance transparency and preserve evidence.
Boarding officers performing sea customs duties must wear a designated boarding jacket fitted with a Body Worn Camera (BWC), activate it on approach to the gangway, record continuously until de boarding, and notify stakeholders that recording is mandatory. The BWC is a stand alone, non wireless device; safety exceptions may be made by a vessel Safety Officer with supervisory verification. Recorded data must be transferred each shift to a password protected internal drive, backed up daily for custody by designated officers, retained for a minimum period, handed over and logged at shift changes, and subject to periodic supervisory review and reporting.

Add OPS Employee requirement: brokers must register other policy section employees in CBLMS rather than filing Form C.
Brokers whose CB Profile is validated by the Parent Policy Section must use the Add OPS Employee function in CBLMS to enter employees of Other Policy Sections where they already operate; they should not file Intimation under Form C for this purpose. Intimation under Form C is intended only for giving new intimation to operate in a different policy section. Adding and validating OPS employee details is a prerequisite for other CBLMS applications, and SOPs and helpdesk support are available on the portal.

Health Certificate requirement deferred, postponing its implementation for imported food consignments pending further orders while stakeholders await guidance.
The implementation of the FSSAI order requiring imported food consignments to be accompanied by a Health Certificate is deferred until further order, in light of representations from various countries and stakeholders. Customs officers are to be sensitized to this extension and any implementation difficulties must be reported to the Board, maintaining existing import processing procedures until further notice.