CBIC invited to nominate officers for IPCEN meeting in Bangkok; travel, nominations, and document submission required.
CBIC is invited to nominate up to three officers (Additional/Joint Commissioner or Deputy/Assistant Commissioner level) for the seventh IPCEN meeting in Bangkok (November 14-16, 2023). Nominations must include CVs aligned with programme objectives and passport bio-data pages, submitted to ICD, CBIC and the USPTO South Asia contact by the stated deadlines. The USPTO will cover economy-class travel, ground transportation, accommodation, meals during the workshop, and certain incidentals; participants should arrive November 13 and depart November 17.

Export of Parboiled Rice now requires laboratory confirmation as a live consignment before Let Export Order is issued.
Samples of consignments classified as Parboiled Rice (CTH 1006.30.10) must be drawn at dock/shed and sent immediately to CRCL as live consignments; a Let Export Order will be granted only after receipt of a confirmatory CRCL test report identifying the goods as Parboiled Rice; exporters need not furnish bonds for such consignments.

Ex-bond Shipping Bill in ICES links into bond records and updates warehouse ledgers on export filing.
An ex-bond shipping bill format in ICES 1.5 requires a single warehouse code per SB and mandatory item-level linkage to the into-bond bill (site, number, date, invoice serial and item number). One into-bond BE can be captured per item line; multiple into-bond origins must be entered as separate item lines though they may appear in one SB for the same warehouse. Filing debits exported quantity from the warehouse ledger, cancellation or purging re-credits it, and amendments update the ledger automatically. The ex-bond SB is confined to warehoused goods exported as such and excludes incentive benefits.

Identified goods designation: Linear Alkyl Benzene now subject to specific declaration and documentary requirements under customs rules.
Linear Alkyl Benzene (HS 38170011) is designated as identified goods; importers must declare value using Unique Quantity Code Kilogram (KG) and submit a Test Certificate, Manufacturer's Invoice, Purchase Order or Contract, and the manufacturer's manufacturing process. The proper officer shall verify compliance with the Linear Alkyl Benzene (Quality Control) Order, 2022. These requirements apply from 26 September 2023 to 25 September 2024.

Permission for customs clearance at non-notified seaports requires Board approval after jurisdictional verification and forwarding.
Requests for customs clearance at non-notified sea ports for government-project imports requiring Board approval must include supporting documents from the government agency or beneficiary and any required NOC; third-party requests need importer authorization. Such requests are to be addressed to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner of Customs (Port) except in urgent cases for direct Board consideration. The jurisdictional Customs office must verify the authenticity of submissions, may seek further evidence, and, once satisfied, forward the request with a verification report to the Board for approval.

Eligibility for waiver of Cost Recovery Charges: AFS must meet specified staffing, cargo volume and document benchmarks over prior years.
The circular prescribes staffing norms for AFS on Cost Recovery Charge basis-both-import-export AFS: 1 Deputy/Asst. Commissioner, 4 Inspectors, 2 STA/TA, 2 Hawaldar (total 11); export-only AFS: 1 Deputy/Asst. Commissioner, 2 Inspectors, 1 STA/TA, 2 Hawaldar (total 8). It establishes benchmark criteria for CRC waiver: both-import-export AFS require 4000 MT annual cargo and 14,000 bills; export-only AFS require 2000 MT and 7,000 shipping bills. Eligibility requires meeting both criteria in the preceding two financial years or any one criterion in the preceding four years; other procedural rules of Circular 02/2021 apply.

Gas cylinder imports require PESO license, 48 hour port arrival notice, and Customs permission before landing and unloading.
Importers must hold a valid PESO licence at the time of import for filled or intended to be filled gas cylinders; valves and LPG regulators require approval or licence. Shipping lines or agents must give the Conservator of the Port at least forty eight hours' notice and deliver the Form A declaration to be forwarded to the Commissioner of Customs. Importers must produce their import licence to the Commissioner of Customs before clearance, and no cylinder, valve or LPG regulator may be landed without the Commissioner's permission.

Export obligation monitoring requires licensees to prove fulfilment or face duty recovery, security encashment and enforcement actions.
EODC will monitor export obligations under EPCG and Advance Authorisation; importers must produce installation certificates within specified periods and discharge export obligations within prescribed blocks or extensions. Failure to fulfil obligations triggers payment of proportional customs duties with interest within three months of block expiry, and Customs may recover unpaid amounts by encashment of securities or under Sections 142 and 143 of the Customs Act; non-fulfilment also exposes goods to confiscation and penalties under Sections 111(o) and 112(a).

State Excise and VAT licence requirement: buyers in bond to bond liquor transfers must hold licences and submit copies.
Customs requires that persons acquiring warehoused liquor by bond to bond transfer hold valid State Excise and VAT licences and submit self attested copies when executing the triple duty bond under Section 59; sellers must verify buyers' licences. The measure aims to prevent duty evasion, monitor warehoused liquor validity, and ensure compliance with State Excise and VAT laws. Exceptions apply to the original importer and to transfers to holders of a special bonded warehouse licence. The notice is effective immediately.

Amendment of Bill of Entry requests to be filed via CRU or official email for AC/DC decision under Section 149
Importers and Customs Brokers must submit amendment requests for out of charge Bills of Entry, specifying the assessing group, at the CRU Section or to the Import Commissionerate's official email. The CRU officer will diarise the documents the same day and forward them electronically to the concerned assessing group AC/DC, which will decide the request in accordance with the amendment provision of the Customs Act.

Excise documentation alternatives permit specified substitute certificates for customs-warehoused liquor, subject to clean bonding records and state conditions.
Amendment allows specified alternative documents instead of a state excise licence for warehoused imported liquor: (i) for supply to State Liquor Corporations, a work/supply order naming buyer-importer and bonded warehouse plus evidence of clean past bonding records; (ii) brand registration certificate in the buyer-importer's name plus clean bonding records; (iii) for Haryana CBWH supply to L-IBF, Haryana Excise registration specifying buyer-importer and CBWH address, brand owner/importer's letter naming authorised distributors and buyer-importer, and clean bonding records; (iv) for Uttarakhand CBWH, Excise License FL-2(O) plus clean bonding records. The notice is effective immediately and is a standing order.

Customs Post Clearance Audit: updated selection and scheduling rules; committees to determine auditees, themes and standardized reporting.
Amendments require dynamic, risk based selection of IECs for Premises Based Audit with annual auditee lists prepared by DG Audit in consultation with analytics and finalised by a committee; lists must be communicated to Audit Commissionerates before 31 March. Audit Commissionerates shall evenly schedule audits and complete the full audit cycle for each selected entity. Themes for Theme Based Audit will be selected biannually by a committee convened by DG Audit. Revised MIS formats CUS PCA 1 to CUS PCA 4 are prescribed for standardized reporting of detections, recoveries and pendency.

AEO accreditation outreach offers one on one handholding and a facilitation helpdesk for importers, applicants and stakeholders.
AEO outreach and handholding sessions at New Custom House provide one on one assistance for accreditation across AEO T1, T2, T3 and LO categories, referencing CBIC Circulars 33/2016 and 54/2020. A facilitation helpdesk at the AEO Cell will operate until the end of September to address new application queries. A Nodal Officer and a Client Relationship Manager have been appointed to manage stakeholder engagement, and queries may be sent to the AEO email for coordinated support.

Amnesty scheme for export obligation defaults extended; registration and payment windows extended and compliance documentation required.
Amnesty scheme for one-time settlement of defaults in export obligations by Advance and EPCG authorisation holders is extended to permit additional registration and payment time. Applicants must submit to the Export Promotion Schemes Monitoring and Management Cell proof of registration under the amnesty or a DGFT deficiency letter, installation certificate where required, the prescribed declaration, and copies of any SCN or adjudication/appellate orders. EPSMMC will process applications in original authorisation files to avoid duplication and facilitate payment; the declaration confirms absence of fraud investigations, non-payment of duty with interest, and a waiver of any CENVAT credit or refund claim on duties paid under the scheme.

Movement of consignments under Section 48: transfer authorized with customs intimation, sealing, and electronic record requirements.
Movement of consignments for the purposes of Section 48 of the Customs Act from FedEx's existing premises at Plot No. C-19 to Unit Nos. 61-63, Cargo Village is permitted provided M/s FedEx gives intimation to the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner, maintains separate (preferably electronic) movement records for Customs inspection, seals closed-body vehicles with one-time tamper-proof seals in the presence of Customs, reports any tampering on arrival, and records receipt and handling details at Cargo Village using the prescribed Annexure formats.

FedEx granted extended customs storage and custodian status at KIA Bengaluru with bond coverage and renewal requirements.
The Principal Commissioner of Customs designates an additional 2,250 sq. ft. at Units 61-63, Cargo Village, KIA Bengaluru as a Customs Area for storage and handling of FedEx consignments, appoints FedEx as custodian of those consignments at the extended premises, confirms existing bond and bank guarantee will cover the extended site, and requires renewal of custodianship one month before expiry while mandating compliance with the Customs Act and departmental instructions.

Medal eligibility and nomination timelines clarified; CBIC screening committee to forward recommendations to MHA for consideration.
CBIC personnel are eligible for the Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal in the Prevention of Narcotics Smuggling area; a CBIC first-level screening committee is constituted to process nominations in line with MHA notifications and SOP, submit recommendations to Member (Compliance-Management), and forward final nominations with Chairman approval to MHA. Nominations must include all SOP annexures and supporting documents, follow prescribed timelines tied to the operation's conclusion, and may be accepted by dak or email, with the Screening Committee Chairman empowered to condone delays upon justification.

Back to Town procedure: RFID e-seal verification enables examination waiver or reduced inspection for eligible exporters, subject to ICES cancellation protocols.
Procedure permits Back To Town movement of export cargo from CPP and CFS at defined stages (pre-registration, post-registration before LEO, and post-LEO) subject to written permission by Assistant/Deputy Commissioners, RFID e-seal verification, prescribed examination levels or waivers for eligible exporters, and cancellation or amendment of LEO and Shipping Bills via the ICES menu. Shut-out and hazardous cargo have tailored processes including endorsement, movement to CPP/CFS, scanning alternatives for hazardous goods, and amendment for partial shut-out cases, with investigative holds precluding BTT.

Personal hearing for export-proceed default adjudication scheduled; appearance options, virtual ID requirements, and ex-parte decision warned.
Adjudication proceedings against exporters for non-realization of export proceeds and recovery of ineligible drawback have personal hearings scheduled for cases listed in Annexure B. Noticees must submit replies and may appear physically or virtually, in person or through authorized representatives. Virtual attendees must provide valid ID proof, mobile number, and an email address at least three working days before the hearing. A written waiver of hearing should be sent if not required; failure to represent will lead to ex-parte decisions based on available records.

State Excise and VAT licensing requirement: buyers in bond to bond liquor transfers must hold licences and submit copies with warehousing bonds.
Customs mandates that any buyer in a bond to bond purchase of imported liquor must hold state excise and VAT licenses and submit self attested copies with the triple duty bond for warehousing; sellers must verify buyers' licenses. The measure, linked to Section 59 transfer rules and state excise/VAT controls, aims to improve monitoring of warehoused liquor and prevent duty evasion. Original importers and holders of special bonded warehouse licenses are exempt. The guidelines are effective immediately and are to be publicized and enforced by customs personnel.