Selection of Special Public Prosecutors for CBIC: applications from advocates with ten years' practice due Oct 25.
Applications are sought for appointment as Special Public Prosecutors for CBIC matters; applicants must be registered advocates with Karnataka State Bar Council with at least ten years' practice. Submit Proforma-A with supporting documentary proof of qualifications, enrolment, case experience, publications and income by October 25, 2025; interviews are scheduled for October 29, 2025. Initial appointments may be renewed after an annual performance assessment contingent on recommendations from the relevant Commissioner or ADG.

Airport baggage screening officers required to use BWCs for Red channel interactions with 30-day recording retention.
BWCs must be worn by officers processing passengers in the Red channel to record baggage examinations from the officer's perspective; recording begins on arrival/diversion to the Red channel and stops only with the Air Customs Superintendent's permission. A register records wearing, removal and handover, supervised transfer of data to a password-protected internal drive, daily hard-disk backup, and a minimum 30-day retention. BWCs are for official use only and weekly random reviews and monthly supervisory reviews with reporting obligations are required.

Customs duty structure clarified for post and courier imports, distinguishing personal, gift, and B2B consignments.
For CTH 9804, goods for personal use not prohibited by import law attract Basic Customs Duty, Social Welfare Surcharge and IGST; duty concession applies where commercial transaction is involved, with a specified combined duty percentage of assessable value. Consignments imported as gifts are subject to a higher combined duty rate due to an increased Basic Customs Duty component and resultant IGST calculation. B2B consignments are assessed as per tariff. For CTH 49011010 (printed books) a reduced Basic Customs Duty applies and SWS and IGST are nil.

Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations require electronic filing of correct arrival and departure messages and stakeholder outreach.
Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations implementation mandates phased operationalisation of electronic SCMTR messages, with SAM, SEI and SDM live and SF piloted; remaining messages to be operationalised by the systems directorate. Transitional provisions are extended, but stakeholders must file correct electronic declarations in the prescribed format in compliance with the Customs Act and SCMTR 2018. Chief Commissioners, in coordination with DG Systems, must conduct weekly outreach, publish notices, and report implementation difficulties to the Board.

Auto-approval of incentive bank account registrations enables system-granted cross-port IFSC acceptance and PFMS validation.
The system will automatically approve registration requests for the same Incentive Bank Account and IFSC Code for an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) at different customs locations if that identical account-IFSC combination has already been approved at any one customs location. Submission workflow remains unchanged, approvals in these cases bypass port officer manual routing, and once approved by the system the request will be sent to PFMS for validation as per existing process.

Unified electronic customs bonds enable automated execution, officer review, electronic signing, and bank guarantee linkage through digital systems.
The Single Unified Multi-Purpose Electronic Bond framework enables importers, exporters and customs brokers to execute an all-India electronic bond and link an electronic bank guarantee through ICEGATE and NeSL. Users submit entity, bond scenario, supporting-document and authorised-signatory details, complete Aadhaar validation, and undergo Customs officer scrutiny before stamp-duty payment and Aadhaar-based electronic signing. The system supports multiple prescribed Customs bond scenarios, tracks application status, and permits integrated-bank electronic guarantees to be linked to electronic or physical bonds after validation of applicant and bond-reference details.

Faceless assessment: importers must upload and link complete supporting documents in eSanchit to expedite clearance.
Importers must self-assess duty liability and upload legible supporting documents in eSanchit, properly linked by tagging IRNs to the relevant Bill of Entry. Include catalogue/technical literature, value-supporting papers, manufacturer details for antidumping, clear product parameters for electrical components, correct generic descriptions, and required registrations/certificates (BIS, MTCTE, WPC, LMPC, EPR) before filing. Select correct document codes, reply exhaustively to queries with IRNs, and state reasons when opting for provisional assessment under Section 18. The listed required documents for Group 5ACM are illustrative and not exhaustive.

Non-Basmati Rice exports allowed only after registration of export contracts with the agricultural export registration authority.
Exports of specified Non-Basmati Rice tariff lines under Chapter 10, Schedule II of ITC(HS) 2022 are allowed only upon registration of export contracts with the designated agricultural export registration authority; the Export Policy is amended to make such contract registration a prerequisite to export, effective 24 September 2025, and stakeholders must submit registration documentation before shipments are permitted.

Extension of CAVR Order validity for Linear Alkyl Benzene under Customs Act provisions renewed for one year.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, under the second proviso to section 14(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 read with sub rule (2) of rule 10 and rule 5 of the Customs (Assistance in Value Declaration of Identified Imported Goods) Rules, 2023, extends the validity of CAVR Order No. 01/2023-Customs (issued 18 September 2023) in respect of Linear Alkyl Benzene. The extension runs from 26 September 2025 until 25 September 2026, maintaining the valuation assistance and compliance framework for the specified imports.

First-time importer verification requires KYC documentation, broker due diligence, electronic filing, accurate declarations, and record retention for customs clearance.
First-time importers must undergo identity and compliance verification by submitting prescribed personal, business, banking, tax, and incorporation documents to the concerned Assessing Group. They must file Bills of Entry through ICEGATE with applicable supporting documents, ensure correct classification, valuation, import-policy compliance, duty declaration and online payment, and preserve records for audit. Customs Brokers must verify client identity, IEC correctness, antecedents, and functioning at the declared address. Importers already verified at another port, and who are not newly entering import activity, need not undergo further verification.

Document Identification Number: verifiable eOffice Issue number now deemed DIN for communications dispatched via public option.
A new verification utility confirms the electronically generated eOffice Issue number and associated metadata; for communications dispatched via eOffice public option the verifiable eOffice Issue number shall be deemed the Document Identification Number, whereas the DIN utility must still be used for communications not dispatched through the eOffice public option. Officers must accurately complete metadata fields when creating eOffice drafts.

Monitoring of insolvency proceedings mandated to ensure timely departmental claim filing and escalation to appellate remedies.
A dedicated NCLT Monitoring Team is to be constituted to identify taxpayers in insolvency proceedings, ensure timely filing of departmental claims, process appeals against adverse treatment, conduct post-mortem analyses of lost claims, proactively monitor insolvency notices, maintain a comprehensive database of related cases, and furnish quarterly reports; the team will operate under the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner (Legal Cell) and the Standing Order is effective immediately.

Documentation requirements for import assessments streamlined to reduce delays and repeated queries under NAC-Chemicals.
Streamlining of documentation requirements under NAC-Chemicals is directed for import assessments to reduce delays caused by incomplete information and repeated queries at the time of filing Bills of Entry. A detailed annexure lists products in Chapters 28 to 49 and the supporting documents generally expected for assessment, including identifiers, material safety data sheets, test reports, end-use declarations, licences, no-objection certificates, landing permissions, and other product-specific compliance documents. The list is non-exhaustive, and the Assessing Officer may seek further documents or clarifications.

Trade facilitation: institutionalised fortnightly committee meetings and expanded representation to boost stakeholder engagement and coordination.
The public notice implements a Central Board directive to institutionalise consultation by requiring the Permanent Trade Facilitation Committee to meet fortnightly and by broadening its composition to include DGFT representatives, logistics service providers, trade councils and existing trade participants to enhance stakeholder engagement, grievance redressal and alignment with national trade facilitation objectives.

AD Code registration becomes centrally available across Customs locations after one online approval, while amendments remain port-specific.
The revised ICEGATE process requires one-time online registration of an AD Code and associated bank account at any Customs port. Once approved, the registration is available across Customs locations, while amendments must be made at the port of original registration. The Bank Account and AD Code Registration Dashboard enables IEC holders to view registered, pending and rejected requests, including pendency locations and rejection reasons. Existing AD Codes are assigned to the port of their last Shipping Bill filing, and prescribed documents must be uploaded through e-SANCHIT.

Designation of RTI officers in Bengaluru Customs Zone: CAPIO, CPIO and First Appellate Authority appointed for RTI matters.
Designation under Section 5(1) and 5(2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005: specific officers are nominated as CAPIO, CPIO and First Appellate Authority for the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Bengaluru, with contact details and jurisdiction covering the Bengaluru Customs Zone (including O/o Commissioner of Customs (Appeals), Bengaluru); this supersedes Public Notice No. 01/2025 and is issued with the Chief Commissioner's approval.

Exemption from Quality Control Order: aerospace grade hydrogen peroxide imports for non commercial R&D exempted from mandatory BIS QCO compliance.
Exemption from the Quality Control Order on imports of aerospace grade hydrogen peroxide is authorized for non commercial R&D use after BIS confirmed no specification exists for that grade; Customs formations are directed to sensitize officers and issue necessary instructions to implement the exemption, with difficulties to be reported to the Board.

Provisional assessment time limits set with mandatory deadlines for document submission, speaking orders, and security adjustment.
The Customs (Provisional Assessment) Regulations, 2025 impose a structured timetable and procedures for finalising provisional assessments under Section 18: a statutory outer limit with authority for extension on sufficient cause; a fourteen month requirement to obtain missing documents or complete enquiries and a target three month window to conclude assessment after receipt; option for importers/exporters to pre pay duty with interest; speaking orders and natural justice safeguards on finalisation; cancellation or re credit of bonds upon no dues; recovery from security for amounts that attain finality; and application to pending and project import cases.

Trade facilitation tightened: expanded PTFC/CCFC membership, mandatory digital grievance monitoring and tri layer redressal under Faceless Assessment.
The Master Circular mandates strengthened, institutionalised consultation by expanding PTFC and CCFC membership, increasing PTFC meetings to fortnightly and CCFC meetings to bi monthly, and revising ToR to require active monitoring and time bound resolution of grievances using digital tools (AEM, TSKs, ICEGATE helpdesk) with escalation to NACs. AEM, TSKs and NACs form a tri layer grievance architecture under Faceless Assessment; DG Systems will revamp AEM with MIS, NACs will maintain dedicated cells and fortnightly sectoral consultations, and zones must acknowledge and resolve grievances including those from social media.

Electronic customs processing at Vizhinjam Seaport enables ICES-based import and export clearances, custodianship, duty collection, and refund payments.
ICES 1.5 commenced computerized customs-document processing at Vizhinjam International Seaport from 2 September 2025. The seaport is approved for import unloading and export loading within its specified customs area. Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited is custodian of imported goods pending clearance, warehousing, or transhipment, and of export cargo pending exportation. The EDI framework also authorises customs-duty collection and duty drawback or refund payments through the designated bank branch. Clearance-related redressal and ICEGATE support channels are available to importers, exporters, and customs brokers.