Sample testing compliance mandated under board circular; stakeholders must follow enclosed procedures and report implementation difficulties.
Customs directs forwarding of samples to outside laboratories for testing in accordance with the enclosed Board Circular No. 28/2018-Customs; Customs Brokers, Exporters, Importers and other trade stakeholders must comply strictly with the enclosed procedures and report any difficulties in implementation to the issuing office.

Signature requirement for customs printouts clarified: customs officers will no longer sign out of charge bills of entry.
The notice clarifies that duplicate and triplicate bills of entry are EDI generated after Out Of Charge and that signatures on these computer generated print outs are not mandatory; henceforth customs officers will not append their signatures on out of charge bills of entry.

Denotification of Customs Area enabling domestic warehousing at an inland container depot alters area classification and boundaries.
The Commissioner of Customs has partially modified prior public notices to denotify 18,879 square metres of the ICD operated by M/s. Container Corporation of India Ltd., reclassifying that portion for domestic warehousing and reducing the net customs area while confirming inclusion of the DPD area; revised boundaries are specified and all other conditions remain unchanged.

Round the clock customs clearance extended to facilitate time sensitive imports and sealed perishable exports at the sea port.
The Board authorizes round the clock Customs clearance at M/s Adani Kattupalli Sea Port for specified imports under 'facilitated' Bills of Entry and for specified exports comprising reefer containers with perishable/temperature sensitive goods sealed in presence of Customs and goods exported under free Shipping Bills; the Chief Commissioner must deploy sufficient officers on a continuous basis, issue Public Notices/Standing Orders, and report implementation difficulties to the Board.

Discharge of bonds expedited: nominated banks must submit electronic export proofs and customs must act within prescribed timelines.
Nominated agencies/banks must electronically submit prescribed export proof documents (EP copy of shipping bill, customs-attested invoice, bank certificate of realisation/eBRC) to the Assistant/Deputy Commissioner of Customs via dedicated email. The officer will acknowledge receipt within 24 hours, may issue a deficiency memo within five days, and require additional documents only with Additional Commissioner approval. Agencies must supply missing documents within seven days; the officer will confirm export within seven days of receipt and discharge the bond within seven days of confirmation.

Simplification of AEO-TI application processing streamlines annexures and decentralizes accreditation to zonal AEO cells.
Simplification of AEO-TI application processing replaces multiple annexures with two streamlined annexures, requires immediate filing of new applications in the new format, and decentralizes accreditation to Zonal AEO Cells where a Zonal AEO Programme Manager will decide acceptance or rejection and notify the central directorate for certificate generation. Pending applications may be processed under either the old or new annexures at zonal discretion, and online processing will begin when digital infrastructure is available.

De-notification of Customs Notified Area: Sewree Timber Pond area de-notified under Section 8(b) enabling transfer for infrastructure project.
The Principal Commissioner of Customs (General), Mumbai, exercising powers under Section 8(b) of the Customs Act, 1962, has modified Notification No. 8 to de-notify the remaining Sewree Timber Pond area so that the entire area ceases to be a Customs Notified Area for storage and examination of cargo.

Customs relief procedures for flood-damaged cargo require submission of prescribed details enabling individual consignment orders.
Flood disruption at a Container Freight Station requires affected stakeholders to submit a prescribed Performa to the Assistant Commissioner (CFS Falcon) detailing shipping particulars, bill of entry or shipping bill status, importer/exporter and broker identification, item description, quantity, value and remarks; CFS must provide cargo inventory. Stakeholders must declare insurance and survey status. The department will examine each consignment and issue consignment-specific orders; immediate clearance is allowed where statutory requirements and duty payment are satisfied, and exporters lacking LEO/registration may seek removal by request to the Assistant Commissioner.

Paperless export processing: upload and link digitally signed supporting documents for electronic assessment and customs verification.
Authorized persons may upload digitally signed supporting documents to ICEGATE/eSANCHIT while preparing jobs in their Remote EDI Systems, obtain an Image Reference Number for documents uploaded after Shipping Bill generation, and link those documents to the Shipping Bill via an amendment at the Service Centre; Customs officers will access the uploaded electronic supporting documents during ICES assessment and may raise queries online, with Participating Government Agencies to be given viewing access in due course.

Paperless export document uploads enable digitally signed supporting documents and online assessment, moving toward mandatory electronic submission.
Pilot permits voluntary uploading of digitally signed supporting documents via ICEGATE eSANCHIT for Shipping Bills, allowing post generation upload to obtain an Image Reference Number and link documents by amendment; Customs will view electronic documents during ICES assessment and the facility will be extended to Participating Government Agencies, while exporters must retain original supporting documents for five years and produce them on demand.

Paperless export processing via eSANCHIT enables electronic upload and linkage of supporting documents, streamlining Customs assessment and LEO issuance.
Pilot introduction of paperless export processing via eSANCHIT enables exporters and customs brokers to upload digitally signed supporting documents on ICEGATE, obtain an Image Reference Number for post filing linkage, and amend Shipping Bills at Service Centres. Customs officers will view electronic documents on ICES during assessment and may request additional online uploads; goods registration, examination recording, and LEO issuance will be processed online. The pilot includes Service Centre uploads and digital signatures on LEO messages, while original supporting documents must be retained for the prescribed retention period.

Bond discharge procedure: electronic submission of export proofs enables expedited acknowledgment and discharge under prescribed timelines.
Nominated agencies/banks must electronically submit prescribed export proofs (EP copy of shipping bills, customs-attested invoice, bank certificate of realization/e-BRC) to the designated customs e-mail; the Assistant/Deputy Commissioner must acknowledge within 24 hours, issue any deficiency memo within five days, require additional documents only with Additional Commissioner approval, receive deficient/additional documents within seven days, confirm export via documents or ICES, and discharge the bond within seven days of confirmation.

Paperless export processing eSANCHIT enables digital upload and IRN linkage of supporting documents, moving toward mandatory use.
Pilot eSANCHIT at New Delhi and Chennai enables authorized persons to upload digitally signed supporting documents on ICEGATE, obtain Image Reference Numbers for post submission linking to Shipping Bills via Service Centre amendments, and allows Customs to access these electronic documents during ICES assessment; Participating Government Agencies will be enabled for viewing in due course, while physical goods registration, examination and electronic Let Export Order delivery continue.

Testing facility verification required before forwarding samples to outside laboratories; use upgraded revenue laboratories or alternate revenue labs instead.
Field formations must verify with their jurisdictional revenue laboratory whether testing facilities for a particular item exist before forwarding samples to outside government laboratories; if the jurisdictional lab lacks capability, samples should be sent preferentially to another revenue laboratory with the facility rather than to an outside laboratory. CRCL must continuously update an accessible web-based list of testing facilities at each revenue laboratory to prevent testing delays, and Principal Commissioners/Commissioners are to issue public notices to inform stakeholders of these procedural requirements.

Empanelment of Chartered Engineers for valuation of used machinery and metal scrap; applicants must meet qualification and integrity conditions.
Empanelment is invited of Chartered Engineers for valuation of old and used machinery, computers and peripherals, metal scrap and secondary/defective metal articles. Applicants must submit prescribed forms with professional certificates, GST registration, and proof of experience; specialists preferred. Applicants must undertake non involvement in specified tax or customs offences; false information may lead to cancellation and penal action. Valuation reports on second hand machinery must follow CBEC Circular No. 25/2015 Customs. Certificates by empanelled engineers are advisory and service charges are borne by importers. A public notice will list empanelled engineers.

Direct port delivery online permission introduced; applicants may apply, upload required documents electronically and forgo hard copy submissions.
Introduction of an Online DPD Permission Module at JNCH allowing importers and authorised customs brokers to apply for Direct Port Delivery permission electronically, upload required documents (jpeg/jpg or pdf, max 4 MB each), complete the online LOP with IEC, contact, representative, preferred CFS and AEO details as applicable, verify email, and receive system generated communications; applications are processed by the DPD Cell and approvals or rejections are intimated by email with the permission letter attached.

Information sharing protocol requires regular mandatory exchange of economic-offence case data with CEIB under staged timelines.
Customs formations must implement an Information Sharing Protocol, nominate a nodal officer, and share all detected offences under economic statutes with the central intelligence clearing body according to four staged reporting obligations (seizure/detection; show cause notice; order-in-original; prosecution). Reports must include identity particulars, statute, action dates, seizure details and a clearly articulated modus operandi. Interim sharing may occur via secure exchange meeting platform or hard copy until secure messaging is available, and real-time sharing of other actionable intelligence is required.

Verification of Certificate of Origin: centralised transmission to Board via Headquarters; direct contact with foreign administrations prohibited.
All retroactive verification requests for Certificates of Origin must be routed to the Valuation Branch, Headquarters, Shillong, for onward transmission to the Board in accordance with Board Instruction No.31/2016 Customs; field formations must not communicate directly with foreign administrations, must refer any direct foreign communications to the Board, and must ensure requests include proper enclosures and annexures, while verification requests from foreign administrations are to be sent to the Board via the Commissionerate office.

Investigation-Customs office established to coordinate customs investigations, intelligence sharing, risk management and inter-agency enforcement actions.
A new post of Commissioner (Investigation-Customs) reporting to Member (Investigation) is established at CBIC to formulate and oversee policy on search, seizure, arrest, prosecution and compounding under the Customs Act, monitor DRI and field investigations (including seizures, foreign assets and search operations), coordinate intelligence analysis and dissemination, manage data warehousing and risk management functions, handle preventive customs staffing and infrastructure, cyber forensics, rewards, disposal of confiscated goods, MLAT matters, inter agency coordination and representation on national intelligence platforms.

Duty free relief imports: customs exemption pathways and ad hoc application procedure for humanitarian consignments cleared efficiently.
Duty-free customs exemption for relief imports is available under Notification No.148/94 (Section 25(1) Customs Act) for specified items imported by charitable organizations; where those conditions are not met, applicants may apply for an ad-hoc exemption under Section 25(2) following the guidelines in Circular No.09/2014-Customs (para-6 and para-8). Applications must be addressed to the Member (Customs), CBIC with required documents. Importers may file Bills of Entry via EDI or a service centre at the Air Cargo Complex and may use provided contact points for assistance and coordination.