Import Policy: restriction on precious metal alloys with elevated gold content now requires licensing and customs control.
The Import Policy for ITC(HS) codes 71102100, 71102900, 71103100, 71103900, 71104100 and 71104900 is Free, except that imports of Palladium, Rhodium and Iridium alloys containing gold in excess of one percent by weight are classified as Restricted. The amendment, effected by Notification No. 18/2025-26 under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992 and incorporated into Schedule I (Chapter 71) of ITC (HS) 2022, is immediately effective and requires customs authorities to implement and report difficulties to the Board.

ICETAB use for export examinations streamlines clearance, eliminating paper documentation and mandating digital reports with image uploads.
ICETAB is to be used for exports examination and clearance, enabling officers to view Shipping Bills, examination orders, RMS instructions and supporting documents electronically and eliminating the need for paper documents. Examining officers must enter examination reports on ICETAB and may upload four cargo images, which will be stored in the e-sanchit repository. DG Systems will issue a detailed advisory; exigent departures require prior Assistant Commissioner permission recorded in the system, and Commissioners must review and resolve operational issues weekly in coordination with DG Systems.

Steel imports must meet mapped Indian Standards and register on SIMS for B/Ls dated on or after 16 June 2025.
Requires import consignments of steel and steel products to comply with the Indian Standards mapped to those products and to the corresponding input materials under the QCO; the mapping is enclosed and the requirement, including mandatory SIMS portal registration where applicable, applies to imports with Bills of Lading dated on or after 16 June 2025.

Empanelment of chartered engineers: listed experts must be used for inspections; noncompliance risks suspension and penalties.
Empanelment is confirmed for specified chartered engineers for inspection and valuation of second hand machinery/goods; importers and brokers must use only these empanelled engineers, pay their service fees, and ensure inspections are conducted by the empanelled engineer after prior permission. Engineers must submit prescribed half yearly appraisals; submission of incorrect information or valuation may lead to suspension or cancellation from the panel and attract penal provisions under the Customs Act. Public Notice No. 217/2022 is superseded.

Cancellation of AA and EPCG bonds requires specified documents, EDI verification, and strict 10/30 day processing timelines.
Procedure for cancellation of AA and EPCG bonds requires submission of specified self attested documents (EODC/Redemption Letter, ANF certified by Chartered Accountant, installation certificate where applicable, and authorization/license with condition sheet). Officers must verify records via ICES/ADVAIT and resolve any non reflecting EODC with issuing authorities or DG Systems. Processing timelines require return of bond/security within 10 days where no checks are needed and within 30 days in other non investigative cases, with bond cancellation in EDI preceding email communication to the authorisation holder and bank. EPM section must perform monthly 5% random verifications and maintain reports.

Transit procedure for Bhutan bound urgent consignments: sea cargo may be moved via Kolkata air cargo under sealed preventive escort and transshipment rules.
Bhutan bound small and urgent non containerized consignments (including medicines, medical and scientific equipment and personal effects) arriving by sea may be sealed after percentage check by the Superintendent of Customs at Docks/CFS and transported under preventive escort to NSCBI Airport, Kolkata for transshipment. At the Air Cargo Complex the preventive officer will hand over sealed cargo to the transshipment officer after seal verification; labeling/relabeling and deposit in the Transshipment Shed by IFO/EFO follow. Carriers must submit transshipment applications with invoice, packing list, MAWB and LOG (CTM by airlines treated as application) for approval by the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner (Transshipment); the Superintendent (Transshipment) authorizes release and export, and the Air Manifest (EGM) is recorded on the LOG for reconciliation by the Nepal Bhutan Unit.

SCOMET applicability clarifications consolidated; officials must use the repository and individually verify item coverage and end use.
A consolidated repository of SCOMET applicability clarifications is available on the CBIC website and will be periodically updated. These clarifications are for reference only; each item must be examined individually by specification and end use to determine SCOMET coverage. Officers should be sensitized for strict compliance with export policy conditions and report difficulties to the Board.

Customs notice upload compliance requires mandatory website publication of SCNs and Orders-in-Original through the EDI process.
All Show Cause cum Demand Notices and Orders-in-Original issued by authorities at JNCH from 1 June 2025 onwards must be compulsorily uploaded on the JNCH website. Copies of such SCNs and Orders-in-Original are to be forwarded to the EDI Section by email along with an Excel file containing the prescribed details, including the notice or order number, date and party name. Difficulties in implementation are to be reported to the Joint Commissioner of Customs, EDI.

EPCG and Advance Authorization bond closure requires listed documents and email to expedite bank guarantee return and avoid deficiencies.
Authorization Holders seeking closure of bonds and return of Bank Guarantees under EPCG must submit self attested copies of: Export Obligation Discharge Certificate/Redemption Letter, ANF 5B certified by a Chartered Accountant, Installation Certificate by a Chartered Engineer or jurisdictional Customs authority, and the Authorization with Condition Sheet. For Advance Authorization, submit Export Obligation Discharge Certificate/Redemption Letter, ANF 4F certified by a Chartered Accountant, and the Authorization with Condition Sheet. Provide an email address for electronic communication of closure or deficiencies.

Approved establishment list updated for Bhutan; customs instruction partially modified and officers must implement unchanged certification requirements.
An agreement implementation updates the approved Bhutanese establishments list for imports while confirming that the format of the Health Certificate and the list of authorized signatories remain unchanged; existing import compliance requirements continue to apply. The instruction partially modifies the earlier customs circular to incorporate the updated list and directs officials to sensitize subordinate officers, with a request to report any implementation difficulties to the Board.

Project Import Scheme: stricter registration, bond and bank guarantee requirements with set timelines and penalties for non compliance.
Registration of project import contracts requires a specified set of supporting documents and timelines: deficiency memos within 10 days, recommendatory letter verification within 5 days, and bank guarantee genuineness checks within 3 days. Bank guarantees must be in the prescribed format with self renewal and typically equal 2% of CIF value up to Rs.1 crore; failure to maintain continuity bonds or renew guarantees exposes importers to penal action under Project Import Regulations and the Customs Act.

Removal of port restrictions restores free export of finished and semi-processed leather, ending mandatory testing requirements.
The DGFT has revoked export controls by removing port restrictions on Finished, Wet Blue and El tanned leather and eliminating the requirement for CLRI testing and certification for Finished Leather, Wet Blue Leather, Crust Leather and El tanned leather; the earlier CBIC instruction of 16-04-2013 is withdrawn and customs officers are to be sensitized and report implementation difficulties.

Chartered Engineer Empanelment requires proven valuation competence, independence, disclosure, and ethical compliance for used machinery inspections.
Empanelment of Chartered Engineers for valuation of imported second-hand and used machinery requires prescribed engineering qualifications, valuation experience, professional membership, supporting records and eligibility verification. Applicants must maintain a clean professional and legal record, provide full disclosure, act independently, avoid conflicts of interest and comply with applicable valuation standards and departmental requirements. Only notified qualifying persons may conduct inspections or valuations. Empanelled Chartered Engineers must submit timely valuation reports and periodic self-appraisals, preserve records and cooperate with oversight. Negligence, misleading valuation, misconduct or incorrect information may lead to suspension, cancellation, removal and further legal action.

Pending Bond/BG closure applications under AA and EPCG require Deficiency Memo responses and supporting documents to EPM.
Lists of pending Bond/BG closure applications for Advance Authorization and EPCG licences at ICD Tughlakabad are provided, many entries marked as incomplete with Deficiency Memos issued; stakeholders must submit DM replies and supporting documents to the EPM section or collect missing DMs, report annexure discrepancies, and note the Commissionerate's effort to expedite disposal by 30 June 2025.

Designation of CPIOs and Appellate Authorities under RTI Section 5(1) for a customs commissionerate with specified administrative charges.
Officers are nominated as Central Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information Officers under Section 5(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 for the Bangalore City Customs Commissionerate, with specified office addresses and emails. The notice assigns precise functional charges to each CPIO-such as export promotion, warehousing, audit, reports, licensing, vigilance, adjudication, examination at ICDs/CFS, bonds and BG monitoring, refunds/drawbacks, system management and TSK-and confirms each officer will act as CPIO for those charges and undertake other assigned work.

Anti-dumping duty exemption for titanium dioxide imports when declared for specified excluded end uses at clearance.
Imposition of Anti-Dumping Duty on Titanium Dioxide from China PR is limited to specified end uses and excludes use in food, pharma, skin-care, textile, fibre, and Nano/ultra-fine TiO2. The customs system is enabled to avoid ADD collection for excluded uses where the importer files declaration STMT_CODE CUA01 in the Bill of Entry (for tariff headings including 28230010, 32061110 and 32061190), undertaking to pay ADD with interest if goods are supplied for non-excluded uses; officers will receive system messages during assessment.

Container scanning status verification enables stakeholders to check selection, scanning and examination status online after manifest finalisation.
Container scanning status verification is available through the Customs Scanning Division, Chennai online portal. Users may check whether a container has been selected for scanning, scanned, examined, and whether examined images have been uploaded. Verification requires the container number, Import General Manifest number and Import General Manifest date. Status is available only after the Import General Manifest is finalised by the Container Scanning Module of the National Customs Targeting Centre.

Post-export conversion: electronic amendment framework limits sensitive shipping bill changes to senior customs approval.
The regulations create an electronic post-export amendment mechanism for shipping bills as an Export Entry, permitting conversion into instrument-based schemes and drawback modes subject to fulfilment of all scheme conditions, reversal of inadmissible benefits, absence of contraventions, and compliance with presentation requirements. Sensitive fields-including ports, destination country, invoice AD code and value, HS code, description, and quantity-may be amended only with Additional or Joint Commissioner approval. A uniform one-year conversion time-limit applies with transitional computation rules, and applicants must submit a declaration and evidence; single deficiency memos will be issued after preliminary scrutiny.

Return to Sender procedures: cancellation of customs duty and inspection steps for returning undelivered postal parcels.
Procedure requires the Foreign Post Office to submit a monthly list of RTS/undelivered parcels in Annexure-A format for verification and cancellation of customs duty under the Universal Postal Convention. Customs inspectors must inspect received parcels under Section 17(2) of the Customs Act within one day to confirm intactness and absence of tampering, submit inspection reports to the Superintendent/Appraiser, who may perform a random check before forwarding recommendations to the Principal Commissioner to enable return to origin.

Red Sanders seized by DRI and Customs must be disposed by jurisdictional Customs under CITES-compliant export quota procedures.
Disposal of seized Red Sanders must be undertaken by Disposal units of jurisdictional Customs formations, including DRI seizures, following prescribed procedures: engage designated public trading agencies, undertake grading and tendering, obtain DRI authorisation for DRI-origin lots, secure Certificate of Origin, DGFT export license and MoEFCC/CITES NoC per SOP, maintain registers and reconcile stocks with MoEFCC/CITES MA, and ensure domestic disposals proceed via State Forest Departments through auction/sealed tender with proceeds handled as directed.