Sample collection and dispatch procedure streamlined for timely testing, courier payment, and same-day movement of customs samples.
Streamlining of sample collection and dispatch by the Central Sample Cell, JNCH requires twice-daily visits to CFSs for sealed sample collection, same-day deposit of samples for CRCL and Textile Committee laboratories, and same-day courier dispatch for specified laboratories. Courier charges and laboratory testing charges are to be borne by the Importer, Customs Broker or CFS and paid before collection, with CSC collection starting only after payment confirmation. Boarding Point and JNCH Port Terminal samples are to be collected once daily.

Custodianship renewal under cargo handling regulations extends CFS operation subject to compliance with prescribed conditions.
Custodianship of the CFS operated by M/s. Calyx Container Terminals Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, is renewed under Regulation 10 and Regulation 13 of the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009. The custodianship is extended for a further period of five years and remains subject to strict compliance with the conditions prescribed under HCCAR, 2009 and other applicable provisions.

Customs circular validity extended for maritime disruption relief, keeping earlier facilities and conditions unchanged until 30 June 2026.
Extension of the validity of specified customs circulars issued under Section 143AA of the Customs Act, 1962, in response to maritime route disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The extended facilities under the earlier circulars continue in force up to 30 June 2026, while all other terms and conditions remain unchanged. Any implementation difficulty may be brought to the Board for further action.

Hazardous cargo declaration and system flagging streamline import clearance for listed goods across customs formations.
Identification and import clearance of hazardous cargo is to be streamlined through system-based marking of Bills of Entry and mandatory item-level declaration by importers. Where imported goods fall under the corresponding Chapters listed in Annexure-A, the importer must declare hazardous cargo at the item level, and the Bill of Entry will be flagged for expeditious processing. The facility is to be implemented across all customs formations, with corresponding modifications in RMS to improve facilitation.

RTI Act jurisdiction updates for customs offices revise designated information officers, appellate authority, and fee payment arrangements.
Updated jurisdictional assignments under the RTI Act, 2005 were notified for the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), Custom House, Kolkata after transfer of charges. The notice identifies the designated Central Public Information Officers and the corresponding first appellate authority, with Annexure-A serving as the updated reference for the relevant offices and jurisdictional coverage. The annexure lists the concerned officers, their office addresses, designations and territorial or functional jurisdictions across the Customs formations, and specifies the notified officer and RBI account arrangement for payment of fees.

Delegation of financial and leave powers streamlines bill sanction, approvals, and controlled authority within Customs administration.
Delegation of financial, administrative, bill-sanctioning, and leave-sanctioning powers is assigned within Customs Commissionerate, Ahmedabad to specified Heads of Office, Controlling Officers, and leave sanctioning authorities. The order covers claims, bills, advances, GPF withdrawal, leave categories, and object-head wise financial powers, with conditions for Group 'A', Group 'B' and Group 'C' officers, limits on leave beyond 60 days, no further sub-delegation, and continued requirement of prescribed rules, instructions, and higher approval where required.

Customs cargo service provider renewal for a container freight station, subject to compliance with cargo handling regulations and customs law.
Renewal of the appointment of M/s Central Warehousing Corporation as Custodian and Customs Cargo Service Provider for its Container Freight Station at Distripark, covering imported goods until clearance, warehousing or transhipment, and export cargo until examination, stuffing and export through Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The renewal is subject to compliance with the Customs Act, 1962, the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009, and all related regulations, notifications, orders and CBIC instructions.

Customs area extension adds adjoining land to the Container Freight Station for unloading imports and loading exports.
Additional land admeasuring approximately 7,824 square metres adjoining the existing Container Freight Station premises of M/s Indev Infra Private Limited is notified as a place for unloading imported goods and loading export goods under the Customs Act, 1962. The customs area is extended under Section 8(a) and Section 8(b) to cover the specified land parcels, and the total notified area of the Container Freight Station becomes 45,864 square metres, subject to the Customs Act and directions issued by the customs authorities.

LCL export container return procedure requires seal verification, de-stuffing, incentive recovery, and shipping bill cancellation before back-to-town clearance.
Procedure is prescribed for handling export cargo containers containing Less than Container Load (LCL) consignments that were offloaded at foreign ports and returned to India because of disruption in maritime routes caused by closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Returned containers are to be moved to a Container Freight Station, subjected to seal and manifest verification, and, where the seal is intact, de-stuffed under Customs supervision before processing for Shipping Bill and LEO cancellation, recovery of export incentives already disbursed, and grant of Back to Town permission. Tampered seals require 100% examination and re-import procedure.

Departure manifest compliance and EGM error rectification to preserve post-export benefits and incentives
Customs authorities directed exporters, customs brokers, shipping lines, custodians and other concerned persons to take note of EGM errors reflected in the EDI system after filing of shipping bills and delivery of the departure manifest. The notice reiterates the requirement that the person in charge of a conveyance carrying export goods must deliver a departure manifest to the proper officer before departure from a customs station. Concerned parties were requested to rectify the errors or file the departure manifests, as the case may be, for availing post-export benefits and incentives.

Case grading and file readiness for Supreme Court matters strengthen briefing, monitoring, and compliance across customs groups.
Instructions require customs groups and officers to improve the handling of matters pending before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India by grading cases, preparing detailed and updated briefs, and keeping files immediately retrievable. Proper indexing and record management are required so that synopses and files can be used for briefing or responding to the Learned ASG at short notice. Senior officers, including the Assistant Commissioner and the concerned JC/ADC, must acquaint themselves with case details, and the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner must monitor compliance.

Safeguard duty exemptions for steel flat products are system-enabled through Bill of Entry declarations and prescribed info codes.
Implementation of safeguard duty exemptions for non-alloy and alloy steel flat products is operationalised through system-based qualifiers in the Single Window Table of the Bill of Entry. Importers claiming exemption must declare the prescribed details under the relevant exemption code, reflecting CIF price thresholds, country-of-origin conditions and excluded product categories. The Annexure maps specific info codes to exempted product categories and scope exclusions, while field formations are instructed to ensure uniform electronic implementation and sensitisation of officers and trade.

Export cargo damage procedure guides cancellation, amendment, and back to town processing after a fire incident at a customs facility.
Procedure prescribed for customs action in respect of export cargo damaged in a fire incident at JWR CFS, including identification of affected shipping bills, verification of damage through surveyor reports and supporting documents, and filing of applications by exporters or customs brokers for cancellation or amendment of shipping bills. Where the cargo is registered but LEO has not been given, cancellation, amendment, or Back to Town processing may be allowed after verification; where LEO has been given but stuffing report has not been submitted, the LEO is to be cancelled first and then the shipping bill cancellation, amendment, or Back to Town action taken as applicable.

RTI officer designation updated for customs commissionerate, with revised CPIO jurisdictions and unchanged appellate authorities.
Partial modification is made to the appointment of Central Public Information Officers under the Right to Information Act, 2005 for the Commissionerate of Customs (Port), Kolkata. The officers listed in Annexure-A are designated as CPIOs for the specified jurisdictions, while the previously notified First Appellate Authorities remain unchanged and the earlier public notices continue in force to the extent not modified. Appeals against CPIO decisions may be filed before the corresponding FAA under Section 19 of the RTI Act, 2005.

Customs relief facilities for Strait of Hormuz maritime disruptions continue temporarily, with existing terms and conditions remaining unchanged.
Customs facilities under specified circulars issued pursuant to Section 143AA of the Customs Act, 1962, for maritime-route disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, remain valid until 15 May 2026. The extension covers the identified Customs circulars, while all existing facilities, terms and conditions remain unchanged. Implementation difficulties may be reported to the Assistant or Deputy Commissioner (Docks) through the designated official email address.

Central Public Information Officer appointment notice under the Right to Information Act, with jurisdiction and link officers specified.
Appointment of a Central Public Information Officer under the Right to Information Act, 2005 is notified for the Office of the Commissioner of Customs (General), Zone-1, Mumbai. Shri Mahesh S. Bhalerao, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, is appointed as CPIO with effect from 01.05.2026. The notice also identifies the jurisdiction of the CPIO, and names the first and second link officers for the concerned office.

Sea Cargo Manifest compliance extended as stakeholders must continue filing complete electronic declarations during transition.
Implementation of the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018 is being advanced for importers, exporters, shipping lines, custodians, Customs Brokers, Terminal Operators, SEZ units and ICD/CFS stakeholders. SCMTR messages for cargo movement between gateway ports and foreign ports have been implemented, and Stuffing messages are operational, though uniformity in filing remains incomplete. Certain messages remain under development and require testing across ICDs, CFSs, SEZs and gateway ports. During the extended transitional period, stakeholders must file complete and correct declarations electronically in the prescribed format.

Customs validity extension for maritime disruption keeps specified facilities in force until mid-May.
Extension of the validity of facilities granted under circulars issued under Section 143AA of the Customs Act, 1962 in view of continuing disruption in maritime routes caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The extended facilities covered by the specified circulars continue to remain in force up to 15 May 2026, while all other terms, conditions, and operational requirements remain unchanged.

RoDTEP and RoSCTL benefit computation clarified for short realisation, FOB deductions, and ECGC compensation treatment.
Clarification is issued on the computation of remission or rebate under RoDTEP and RoSCTL where export proceeds are short realised. Benefit may be allowed on the full Free on Board value without deducting agency commission and bank charges, provided such deductions, separately or together, remain within the overall limit of 12.5% of the FOB value. If the charges exceed that limit, the excess is to be deducted for granting the benefit.

Official email ID change for EDI communications requires all customs correspondence to be sent to the new address immediately.
Official communications of the EDI, Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House are to be addressed to the revised email ID [email protected] with immediate effect. All correspondence, including Office Orders, Show Cause Notices, Orders-in-Original and other official communications, must be sent to the new address, and the earlier email ID is no longer in use.