Risk Management System in exports changes selection of shipping bills for customs verification and facilitation.
The RMS will electronically process Shipping Bills in ICES at submission and after amendments to direct whether a bill receives a "Let Export Order" based on self assessment or is selected for verification of self assessment and/or physical examination; officers must follow RMS instructions. The system incorporates Compulsory Compliance Requirements from allied enactments, requires exporters/CHAs to submit prescribed documents at goods registration and before LEO, and will later select bills for Post Clearance Audit to detect short levies or improper export incentive claims.

Risk Management System in imports enables automated self-assessment clearance with targeted assessment or post-clearance audit.
The RMS establishes an automated risk-based clearance regime in ICES/ICEGATE where electronically filed Bills of Entry and IGMs are screened to permit out-of-charge of compliant self-assessed consignments without officer assessment or examination, while selecting others for appraisal, physical examination, or Post-Clearance Audit. AEO importers receive enhanced facilitation subject to Compulsory Compliance Requirements. System-driven bond debits, annexure requirements for SVB and certificates, integration with SWIFT compliance lists, retention of amendment procedures, and a shift from concurrent audit to PCA are operative features; accurate B/E data and document submission are mandated for facilitation.

Container exit controls: CFSs prohibited from issuing LEO on seal-intact certification; parking plaza processing required.
Officers at Container Freight Stations shall not register shipping bills or issue Let Export Orders for self-sealed containers solely on the basis of a 'seal intact' certification from parking plaza officers; export documents and RFID seal verification must be processed through the parking plaza and terminal TOS, and only containers selected for open examination or showing seal mismatch may be processed for LEO at CFS.

AEO vehicle access for container scanning permits accredited importers to take DPD containers to a drive-through scanner with customs endorsement.
When the mobile scanner at the port terminal is non functional, AEO importers (T1, T2, T3) whose DPD DPD containers are selected for scanning may use their own vehicles to evacuate containers to the Drive Through Scanner upon Customs endorsement of the Delivery Order after AEO verification. AEO T1 importers must furnish a bond equivalent to the goods' value at the terminal boarding office; bond cancellation follows a scan clean report and Customs out of charge. If CONCOR is the authorised rail carrier, it may transport containers to the DTS against an Import Continuity Carrier Bond, with suspicious scans requiring transfer to the importer's chosen CFS for detailed Customs examination.

AEO Programme digitisation: online AEO T1 portal launched; manual filing allowed until transition cutoff to online system.
The document establishes an online portal (aeoindia.gov.in) for AEO T1 applications where applicants register, verify via OTP, complete Annexure I and II, upload documents and a declaration, preview and submit; submissions go to Customs officers for scrutiny, then to a Zonal AEO Programme Manager for approval or rejection, and on approval are forwarded to the Directorate for electronic certificate generation. Manual filing remains permissible concurrently until the transition cutoff to the online system.

Empanelment of chartered engineers for valuation of second hand machinery with prescribed Form B reports and capped professional charges.
Three named chartered engineers/firms are empanelled for valuation of second hand machinery and other goods within the Commissionerate of Customs, Mangalore, for one year. Empanelled engineers must submit half yearly self appraisal reports and provide inspection reports in Form B with detailed machine, importer and documentary information, photographs, and evidence of qualification or DGFT/Customs empanelment. Professional charges are Rs. 5,000 or 0.5% of assessed value, whichever is higher, capped at Rs. 15,000.

IGST export refund errors: ensure timely filing and matching of local and gateway EGMs to enable automated refunds.
Automated IGST refund processing is hindered by non-filing/late filing and mismatches between local and gateway EGMs and by non-filing of stuffing reports for LCL consignments. Originating ICD/CFS custodians, carriers and shipping lines must file local EGMs online before movement, maintain container-wise tally sheets linking previous and new containers and shipping bill details, and ensure gateway EGMs or supplementary EGMs are filed to permit integration. Persistent non-compliance by Customs Cargo Service Providers may attract penalties and regulatory enforcement; export verification remains a condition for refunds.

Hazardous goods clearance: existing export examination procedure applies equally to containerized and LCL consignments, requiring compliance.
The procedure in Public Notice No.46/2017 for clearance and examination of export cargo classified as hazardous goods is expressly applicable to both containerized and LCL consignments; this notice operates as a standing order for Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House officers, and stakeholders with difficulties must approach the designated Deputy/Assistant Commissioner in charge of Appraising Main (Export) via the provided contact channels.

Rescission of IGST/GST circulars: prior warehouse transfer guidance withdrawn and prior circular deemed rescinded on supersession.
The circular rescinds Circular No. 03/01/2018-IGST with effect from 01.02.2019 and confirms that Board Circular No. 46/2017-Customs stood rescinded from the date it was superseded, concerning the applicability of IGST/GST on goods transferred or sold while deposited in a warehouse; further clarification may be sought from the Board.

Customs filing suspension for tariff updates: bills of entry submissions halted temporarily; processing of earlier filings continues.
Submission of Bills of Entry in ICES and Section 48 approvals will be stopped at 18:00 on 1 February 2019 for tariff and notification directory updates; ICEGATE and Service Centre receipt will resume after updation and traders will be informed. Processing of Bills of Entry filed before 18:00 will continue; Shipping Bills remain unaffected. Export duty/cess changes for Shipping Bills filed on or after 1 February 2019 will be tracked and collected manually until directories are updated.

Bonded trucking permission extended for Jaipur Gemstone Exchange, enabling precious cargo transport to New Delhi airport subject to conditions.
Permission for bonded trucking is extended to M/S Jaipur Gemstone Exchange for transportation of import and export precious cargo between Jaipur and the Air Cargo Complex at New Customs House, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. This renews the route-specific transshipment authorization for an additional three-year period and is expressly made subject to compliance with the conditions and procedural requirements set out in the listed CBEC and Board circulars governing bonded movements, security, documentation and transshipment.

Labelling operations in bonded warehouses permitted without prior permission, enabling statutory compliance for packaging and RSP.
Labelling, affixing retail sale price and related operations required to meet statutory compliance under legal metrology, FSSAI, DGFT and State Excise may be undertaken in any Customs bonded warehouse without requiring prior permission under the Customs Act; Circular 38/2018-Customs is modified to this extent and the Board may be approached for clarifications.

Export transhipment module enables movement of export containers from Kolkata to gateway ports under bond and ETP permit.
An Export Transhipment (ETP) Module in ICES permits movement of export containers from Kolkata Port/CFS to Gateway Ports after filing an ETP application post-stuffing or LEO. The carrier/custodian must register a continuous TP Bond and BG; upon ETP approval by the original appraiser a printed ETP permit allows gate exit, debits the bond, and places the Shipping Bill into Drawback processing. At Gateway Port officers verify seals and particulars, enter Allowed for Shipment, and after EGM filing the debited bond is re-credited.

EGM data integration: correct local and gateway EGM mismatches and stuffing reports to enable automated IGST export refunds.
IGST refund processing is impeded by non filing, late filing and mismatches between local and gateway EGMs and by lack of stuffing reports; custodians, shipping lines, agents, Preventive officers and customs officers at ICDs/CFSs and gateway ports must file local EGMs online, maintain tally sheets linking previous and new containers for LCL consolidation, enter stuffing reports for all shipping bills, and use ICES amendment options to correct container details so EGMs integrate and automated IGST refund sanctioning can proceed.

Suspension of Bill of Entry filing for budget system updates; shipping bills continue and traders must verify duty liability.
ICES directories will be updated for budget changes, requiring a temporary suspension of filing Bills of Entry and Section 48 approvals from the stated cut-off time while other ICES functions remain available. Shipping Bills processing will continue. Sites will monitor SBS entries made during the update and collect revised export duty/cess manually if budget changes are announced. Processing of Bills filed before the cut-off will continue; traders should verify prior Bills for changed duty liability before seeking out-of-charge. Service Center digitalisation work will pause at the cut-off and resume after system updation; printing is unaffected.

Transshipment commercial invoice requirement: shipping lines must submit invoices when seeking transshipment approval under ICES or manual processing.
Shipping lines must submit a copy of the commercial invoice when seeking cargo transshipment approval; para 3(vi) of Public Notice No. 29/2018 is amended to require generation of a transshipment approval order with TP number and date in the ICES system similar to other ICD transshipment permits following Public Notice No. 06/2013, or to be done manually if ICES generation is not feasible. The amended procedure is effective from 15.02.2019 and other contents of the original notice remain unchanged.

Denotification of Customs Area removes specified CFS parcel from customs handling and reclassifies operational coverage.
The Commissioner of Customs, exercising statutory authority, has denotified 8,682 square metres of the Container Freight Station at Virugambakkam (3,512 sqm covered-Shed No. XI-and 5,170 sqm open), removing that parcel from handling of Customs cargo. The Public Notice records the remaining Customs Area at the CFS and specifies the denotification's effective date.

Denotification under Section 8(b): leased land removed from the customs area, with effect from the announced date.
Denotification of a plot of 83,973.31 sq.ft at M/S Sanco Trans Ltd. Container Freight Station is effected under Section 8(b) of the Customs Act, 1962 due to expiry of the lease; all other Customs Area arrangements at the premises remain unchanged. The change is formalised by Public Notice No. 06/2019 and takes effect from 01/02/2019.

Customs area designation allocates specific areas for export LCL and FCL cargo handling under Customs Act authority.
The Commissioner of Customs, invoking authority to define a Customs Area, notifies that within the previously approved export cargo footprint at M/S APM Terminal India Pvt. Ltd. CFS, 1198 sq.mtr is allocated for handling Export LCL cargo and 185 sq.mtr is allocated for handling Export FCL cargo, effective from the stated commencement date, thereby formalising area-specific handling of export cargo at the premises.

Appointment of Transworld Terminals as custodian for container and break bulk cargo with bond, insurance and compliance obligations.
M/S. Transworld Terminals Private Limited is appointed Custodian for containerised, over-dimension and break-bulk cargo through Kolkata/Haldia Port under Section 45(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 and in a notified Customs Area. The Custodian must execute a bond (initially Rs. 70.94 crores), maintain insurance cover (Rs. 195.90 crores for one year), indemnify Customs for losses, and comply with operational, security, EDI and regulatory obligations under the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009, subject to periodic review, termination rights of the Commissioner and prescribed custodianship terms.