Import filing compliance at customs, NOC delays, reimport classification, and demurrage concerns were reviewed in trade facilitation discussions.
Import filing practices were reviewed, with emphasis on correct classification of reimported consignments, prompt intimation of cancellations of advance Bills of Entry, avoidance of unnecessary declarations that obstruct NOC issuance, and proper documentation for medical devices, accessories, licences, debit sheets and invoice-consignment description matching. Trade issues also included delays from body worn camera use, part-shipment hardship, demurrage concerns, and requests for training programmes in the April-June quarter.

Post Export EPCG scrip processing moves online, enabling electronic issuance, revalidation, and transmission through the DGFT portal.
Activation of the Post Export EPCG module on the DGFT portal enables online issuance, re-issuance and extension of validity of Post Export EPCG Duty Credit scrips, with electronic transmission to ICEGATE for subsequent utilisation. The concerned Regional Authority examines applications in the online module and generates the scrip electronically for transmission. Applicants may seek closure, revalidation, re-transmission, or electronic generation through Service Request Tickets, depending on whether the authorisation is open, the scrip is untransmitted or expired, or only a manual scrip exists.

E-waste disposal quotations invited for seized and confiscated laptops, phones and other material through incineration.
Customs authorities invited quotations from KSPCB-registered e-waste dismantlers, recyclers and refurbishers for disposal of seized and confiscated e-waste at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The material comprised refurbished laptops, mobile phones, used or damaged televisions and RF circuit boards stored in the customs godown, and disposal was proposed by way of incineration with transportation, loading and unloading included.

Interest subvention support extends to selected tariff lines for micro and small exporters, with prospective eligibility only.
Interest subvention support under the Export Promotion Mission is extended to the tariff lines listed in Annexure-IIA, inserted into Annexure-II of the existing Trade Notice for pre- and post-shipment export credit. The added tariff lines are eligible only for export credit availed by Micro and Small Enterprises, while Medium Enterprises are excluded for exports covered by Annexure-IIA. The eligibility applies prospectively only, and interest subvention is admissible only for eligible export credit disbursed on or after the date of issuance.

Transshipment permission renewal for import and export cargo requires bond compliance, bank guarantees, and transit liability safeguards.
Permission is renewed for M/s Air India Limited, Kolkata to carry import and export transshipment cargo between Air Cargo Complex, Kolkata and other customs-notified Indian airports through flights operated within India, subject to bond, bank guarantee and compliance requirements. The airline is liable for any shortage or pilferage in transit, with export transshipment requiring payment of the value of goods and applicable interest, penalty and cess, and import transshipment requiring payment of customs duty and other levies with applicable interest and penalty. The arrangement is governed by the Customs Act, transhipment regulations, cargo-handling regulations and related customs instructions.

Custodian appointment and cargo handling compliance at Haldia berth under customs law and cargo area regulations
Appointment of International Seaports (Haldia) Pvt. Ltd. as Custodian and Customs Cargo Service Provider for Berth No. 04 and the adjoining back-up area, including the rail corridor and conveyor structures at Haldia Dock Complex, is formalised under the Customs Act, 1962 and the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009. The custodian must comply with the prescribed legal framework, furnish the required bond, bank guarantee, insurance coverage, and indemnity, and remain subject to periodic review, disposal obligations, and possible suspension, revocation, or cancellation for non-compliance.

Export cargo container handling procedure streamlines verification, seal checks, and shipping bill cancellation for returned containers.
Simplified procedure prescribed for handling export cargo containers returned to India after offloading at foreign ports due to disruption of maritime routes. The procedure provides for verification of the Shipping Line Amendment Message, matching of container and seal particulars with Shipping Bills and related documents, and offloading without a Bill of Entry where the seal is intact and verified. Shipping Bills and LEO are to be cancelled through the prescribed EDI module after recovery of any already disbursed export incentives such as IGST refund and drawback. Where the seal is tampered or not intact, 100% examination and the existing re-import procedure apply.

Central Public Information Officer appointment under RTI updated for Customs (Export) jurisdiction in Mumbai.
Appointment of Central Public Information Officer for the Office of the Commissioner of Customs (Export), Mumbai, is notified under the Right to Information Act, 2005. Shri Rakesh Thakur, Assistant Commissioner, Customs (Export), is designated as the CPIO for information pertaining to the Commissioner of Customs (Export), with his office address and contact details specified for RTI purposes. The notice also records the corresponding appellate authorities for the jurisdiction and amends the earlier public notice on the subject.

Food import authorisation framework updated with additional notified points of entry and revised officer designations.
Authorized officers for food imports at notified points of entry are updated under Section 25 read with Section 47(5) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulation 13(1) of the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017. FSSAI notifications dated 09.04.2026 and 06.01.2026 add five further points of entry, and the updated consolidated list of 171 points of entry and authorized officers is attached as Annexure-A. Customs Instruction No. 31/2025-Customs is modified to that extent.

Foreign exchange derivative contracts involving INR are restricted for related parties, with limited exceptions for rollovers and back-to-back transactions.
Authorised Dealers are prohibited from undertaking foreign exchange derivative contracts involving INR with their related parties, except for cancellation and rollover of existing contracts and back-to-back transactions with non-related non-resident users under the Master Direction on Risk Management and Inter-Bank Dealings. The term related parties is to be understood by reference to Ind AS 24, IAS 24, or equivalent accounting standards, and the directions apply with immediate effect.

Transshipment of container cargo follows a sealed SOP for movement, cross stuffing, documentation, and custody at the designated CFS.
Standard Operating Procedure prescribes movement of International Transshipment-FCL containers between the Port Terminal and the designated CFS at JNCH under a custodial framework, with filing of the IGM, consolidated lists, movement permission, seal verification, and storage in the earmarked area. It also governs case-by-case cross stuffing in the designated CFS, requiring specified NOCs, booking confirmation from the new shipping line, video recording, supervision by Customs and CFS officers, preservation of records for 180 days, endorsement of the manual permit and CLP, and compliance with transshipment and re-export requirements.

International transhipment of FCL and LCL cargo is facilitated through streamlined customs procedures and electronic coordination.
International transhipment of FCL and LCL cargo is permitted from all seaports and international airports, including movement through other Customs stations, subject to compliance with the Customs Act, 1962 and the relevant Board circulars. Prior consent through official email is required for multi-station transhipment, custodians remain responsible for safe custody and accounting, and export cargo lying at gateway ports may be moved after cancellation of the LEO or Shipping Bill by the originating ICD, with electronic processing preferred wherever possible.

Payment aggregator customs duty payments enable cards, UPI and expanded internet banking through ICEGATE's Electronic Cash Ledger framework.
The ICEGATE e-Payment platform recognises a payment aggregator as an authorised customs duty payment mode. The facility enables payment through credit cards, debit cards, Unified Payment Interface and expanded internet banking, while complementing authorised internet-banking and NEFT/RTGS modes. Transaction-wise payments are routed instantaneously through the Electronic Cash Ledger before duty is accounted for. Any bank commission on deposits made through this mode is borne by the depositor. The facility is supported by amendments to the Electronic Cash Ledger regulatory framework and an ICEGATE user manual.

International transhipment of container cargo is prioritised through verification and inter-station coordination during maritime-route disruptions.
International transhipment of Full Container Load and Less than full Container Load cargo is permitted from all seaports and international airports amid maritime-route disruptions. Requests are to receive priority processing after due verification by the authorised jurisdictional Assistant or Deputy Commissioner of Customs. For cargo moving to another Customs station for onward transhipment, prior consent must be coordinated with the transit or destination station to ensure secure storage capacity and logistical support before permission is issued.

Bank authorisation for gold and silver imports updated under the Foreign Trade Policy framework.
The revised Appendix 4B updates the list of banks authorised to import gold and silver under the Foreign Trade Policy framework. It sets out one category of banks authorised to import both gold and silver and a separate category authorised to import only gold, each valid from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029, thereby updating the banking arrangement for precious metal imports.

Customs area notification expands the container freight station premises and specifies added land for import unloading and export loading.
Additional land adjoining the existing Container Freight Station premises of M/s Ocean Gate Container Terminals Private Limited has been notified as part of the customs facility. The operator's CFS, earlier declared a Customs Area in stages, had a total notified area of 81,901 SQM, and an additional 6,860 SQM has now been acquired and developed. The added land is notified as a place for unloading imported goods and loading export goods, subject to compliance with the Customs Act, 1962 and related instructions. The limits of the added customs area are specified by the survey numbers in the schedule and map, bringing the total notified area to 88,761 SQM.

Export cargo container verification rules address return shipments after foreign offloading and route disruption, with seal-based relaxation limits.
Procedure is prescribed for handling export cargo containers that are offloaded at foreign ports and subsequently returned to Indian ports because of disruption in maritime routes arising from closure of the Strait of Hormuz or similar disruptions. Shipping line or authorised representative must file SAM where vessel, consignor-consignee, and Bill of Lading particulars change due to discharge and return of the cargo, and container particulars and seal integrity must be verified against Shipping Bills and related documents. Containers may be offloaded without filing a Bill of Entry only if the seal is intact and verified; otherwise, 100% examination and the existing re-import procedure apply.

Customs transshipment control governs reworking and re-containerisation of FCL and LCL cargo at approved premises.
International transshipment of FCL and LCL cargo at Mundra Port is operationalised through a standard procedure for reworking, re-containerisation, de-stuffing, segregation, consolidation and re-stuffing under Customs control. The notice applies only to transshipment cargo handled at approved premises in the Port Area or approved CFS premises, and distinguishes this process from direct intact-container transshipment, which continues under the general transshipment regime. Applications for reworking or re-containerisation require supporting documents, bond or movement bond, Customs permission, seal verification, tallying, and continuous accounting until proof of onward shipment and bond discharge.

Customs procedure extension for diverted break bulk cargo adds a nodal officer for international transhipment facilitation.
The validity of the standard operating procedure for handling diverted break bulk cargo for international transhipment at Mumbai Port is extended further till 30.04.2026. A nodal officer is nominated for the purpose, with specified name, designation, contact details, e-mail address and office address, to facilitate implementation of the procedure under the referenced customs circulars and public notices.

Export insurance eligibility expanded under RELIEF for new ECGC Whole Turnover Policies issued from the specified date.
Component II of the Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) supports exporters in obtaining ECGC credit insurance cover for consignments to specified countries in the affected Gulf and West Asia region. It is clarified that the benefit is also available to exporters who obtain a new ECGC Whole Turnover Policy for the first time on or after 16.03.2026, while all other provisions remain unchanged.