Right to information administration is strengthened through designated information officers for Customs Audit Commissionerate RTI functions.
Right to information administration within the Customs Audit Commissionerate is implemented through the appointment of a Central Public Information Officer and a Central Assistant Public Information Officer under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The appointments establish designated channels for handling RTI-related functions within the Commissionerate.

Central Public Information Officer designation establishes the RTI information-access arrangement for the Chennai Air Cargo Commissionerate.
The Assistant Commissioner of Customs in the Office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs (Air Cargo) is designated as the Central Public Information Officer for the Chennai Air Cargo Commissionerate under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The notice also identifies the Joint Commissioner of Customs, Appraising Main, Chennai-VII, in connection with the RTI administration arrangement.

Duty-free container monitoring shifts to electronic bond recording, while interim quarterly reporting and re-export compliance continue.
Duty-free container imports require a Continuity Bond and re-export compliance. Manual Container Movement Permission requests and manual transaction-wise bond debit and credit are discontinued. Continuity Bonds must be recorded in ICES through National Bond Numbers, with electronic manifest messages supporting bond debits and credits. Pending full automation, quarterly reports on bond balances, container imports, re-exports, pending containers and extensions remain required. Bond cancellation depends on verified compliance; non-compliance may lead to bond enforcement, recovery of duty and interest, and penal action.

Self-sealing permission registration remains valid unless withdrawn, with interim EDI extensions and approval required for specified amendments.
Self-sealing permission granted to an eligible exporter or merchant exporter has no prescribed validity period and continues unless withdrawn, suspended or cancelled. EDI registration validity for fresh and existing permissions is extended up to 31 March 2027, followed by annual extensions by the FSP Cell without fresh approval until system enhancement. Permissions expressly issued for a fixed period require renewal from the jurisdictional Commissionerate. Amendments to premises, authorised signatory or ROC particulars require jurisdictional approval and intimation to the FSP Cell.

Gateway EXIM operations require Direct Port Delivery and Direct Port Entry, electronic manifests, authorised transshipment, and strict Customs controls.
Gateway EXIM operations at Vizhinjam International Seaport permit only Direct Port Delivery imports and Direct Port Entry exports of eligible full-container-load containers. Less-than-container-load, loose, de-stuffing, carting and container freight station examination cargo are prohibited until a designated facility operates. Road transshipment requires registered authorised carriers or transshippers, electronic ICEGATE manifest filing, a transshipment bond and tamper-proof seals. Stakeholders must maintain SCMTR registration and electronically file sea arrival and departure manifests. The custodian must segregate transshipment and EXIM cargo and verify Customs out-of-charge before direct-port-delivery release.

Suspension of customs cargo service provider approval follows security deficiencies and cargo pilferage, restricting fresh cargo receipts while allowing clearance.
Approval of Container Corporation of India Ltd., Dronagiri Rail Terminal CFS as a Customs Cargo Service Provider was suspended with immediate effect pending further orders following serious security deficiencies and theft or pilferage of export cargo. Cargo already within the CFS may be cleared by the Proper Officer after due process. Fresh cargo receipts are stopped, except where the relevant arrival manifest, shipping bill, or bill of entry had already been filed within the stipulated conditions.

Export transshipment permission enables bonded trucking of air cargo under sealed trucks, subject to bond liability and compliance conditions.
Export transshipment permission is renewed for bonded road movement of air export cargo from Air Cargo Complex, Kolkata to customs-notified destinations through closed-body trucks under ECTS seal. The permission remains valid for three years or until expiry of the export transshipment bond, whichever is earlier. Bond liability is debited on cargo removal and restored on delivery to destination Customs. The transshipper is liable for shortages or pilferage and consequential amounts. Operations are governed by the applicable customs transit, cargo-handling and foreign trade framework, and permission remains subject to compliance and possible withdrawal after hearing.

Drug export compliance requires differentiated documentation, CDSCO verification, and prior NOC-based licensing for unapproved, new or banned drugs.
Manufacturer exporters of drugs other than unapproved, new or banned drugs must upload prescribed export documents through e-Sanchit. Non-manufacturer exporters must obtain an ADC/CDSCO export NOC after submission and verification of relevant documents, on which Customs ordinarily relies. For unapproved, new or banned drugs manufactured solely for export, a CDSCO Zonal Office NOC through SUGAM must precede the State Licensing Authority manufacturing licence, and shipping bill details must match the NOC. A limited interim relaxation permits post facto CDSCO NOCs until 30 September 2026 where specified approvals are valid.

Right to Information appeals are assigned to a designated First Appellate Authority across the specified Customs Commissionerates.
Right to Information appeals concerning information held by the Customs Commissionerates NS-I, NS-III and NS-V at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House are assigned to the designated Joint Commissioner of Customs as the First Appellate Authority, with immediate effect and until further orders. The designation supersedes earlier public notices and operates as a Standing Order for officers and staff across those Commissionerates.

Export sample testing accepts valid recognised laboratory reports, while risk-based verification and existing import testing procedures continue.
Valid laboratory reports submitted for export consignments must be considered to avoid mandatory duplicate testing where there is no risk-based intervention or specific intelligence. Reports may be issued by NABL-accredited laboratories, laboratories recognised by Export Promotion Councils, or other recognised agencies for importing-country regulatory compliance. Existing sample-drawal and testing procedures continue where verification is warranted, while import-consignment testing remains unchanged.

Right to Information appeals administration designates an Additional Commissioner as First Appellate Authority for customs-zone RTI matters.
Shri Amit Kumar Singh, Additional Commissioner, is designated as the First Appellate Authority for Right to Information matters in the Office of the Principal Chief Commissioner, Mumbai Customs Zone-I, with immediate effect and until further orders. The designation is made under the provisions governing appointment of RTI officers and first appeals.

Customs arrears recovery requires dedicated cells, time-bound enforcement, asset tracing, coordinated reporting, and documented write-off after failed recovery efforts.
Dedicated Tax Recovery Cells are established to centrally record, monitor and recover confirmed customs arrears after the appeal period expires without an appeal. TRCs must maintain case files and recovery checklists, prioritise recoverable arrears, and pursue staged measures including payment demands, bank-guarantee encashment, refund adjustment, garnishee recovery, bank-account attachment, system alerts, detention orders and asset identification. Property attachment and sale procedures apply where recovery remains unpaid. Irrecoverable arrears may be proposed for write-off only after documented recovery efforts fail and no relatable property is available.

Express Cargo Clearance System enables electronic import and export courier clearance at the newly notified international courier terminal.
Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS) is implemented for electronic clearance of import and export courier shipments at the Courier Terminal, Navi Mumbai International Airport, following successful pre-production trials. NMIA is notified as a Customs port and international courier terminal, and its premises are approved as a Customs area. Authorized couriers and other stakeholders must comply with ECCS registration requirements on ICEGATE and applicable courier-clearance instructions. Clearance-related issues may be raised with the designated customs officers at the terminal.

Origin Declaration self-certification enables authenticated preferential tariff claims for eligible United Kingdom goods imported into India
The framework permits United Kingdom exporters or producers to self-certify origin through an Origin Declaration for preferential tariff claims in India. Before claiming preference, the declaration must be sent to the designated CBIC email address and the Indian importer's ICEGATE-registered email address. Authentication confirms the declaration's genuineness but does not independently establish originating status. Successful authentication generates a Unique Reference Number, which must be quoted in the relevant Bill of Entry. The declaration is valid for twelve months and generally covers one shipment, with specified use for related ex-bond clearances of warehoused goods. Declarations completed and authenticated after commencement may support claims for eligible goods already in transit or under customs control.

Container duty-free monitoring shifts to electronic reporting, ending manual shipping line submissions and reducing transaction-level bond administration.
Manual submission of container-wise documents and statements by shipping lines for containers imported under Notification No. 104/94-Customs is discontinued. Monitoring will instead rely on electronic reports generated by DG Systems for containers not re-exported within six months, to be published on the ICEGATE portal for action by shipping lines and Customs officers. Shipping lines, NVOCCs, steamer agents and authorised agents must continue to execute the bond without surety, while field formations and port operators are to integrate electronic gate systems and maintain movement records electronically.

Export air-cargo transshipment permission permits bonded trucking under ECTS seal, subject to bond liability, compliance conditions and revocation safeguards.
Export air-cargo transshipment permission is renewed for a bonded trucking operator to transport cargo from the Air Cargo Complex, Kolkata, to other customs-notified destinations using closed-body trucks under ECTS seal. Permission lasts for three years or until bond expiry, whichever is earlier. Bond liability is debited on collection and restored on delivery to destination Customs. The operator remains responsible for shortages or pilferage and consequent applicable liabilities. Operations must comply with customs transit, transshipment, cargo-handling and foreign trade requirements, and permission is renewable subject to compliance and may be withdrawn after notice and hearing.

Indian Customs EDI processing enables computerized import and export clearances at ICD Hirnoda, with authorised cargo operations and duty payments.
Indian Customs EDI System (ICES 1.5) processing for import and export clearance commences at ICD Hirnoda, Jaipur (INHDA6), enabling computerized processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills. M/s Hasti Petro Chemicals and Shipping Ltd. is appointed custodian and Customs Cargo Service Provider for the ICD and is permitted to commence operations after fulfilling applicable customs and cargo-area requirements. State Bank of India, SMS Highway Branch, is authorised to collect customs duty and make duty drawback and refund payments under the EDI system.

Remote Entry Inward procedure extends to Karwar Port, requiring timely documents, prescribed email requests and Boarding Officer intimation.
Entry Inward and Vessel Sail-out Clearance procedures are standardised under the prescribed customs circular, which prevails over any inconsistent earlier remote Entry Inward procedure. Remote Entry Inward before berthing, without physical boarding, is extended to Karwar Port. Vessel or steamer agents must email requests in the prescribed format to the designated Customs Docks Office and then inform the Boarding Officer by telephone. Stakeholders must file requisite documents in time, and implementation difficulties may be reported to the designated Customs Docks authority.

Duty drawback deficiency memos under customs law require prescribed documents, with non-compliance leading to treatment as not filed.
Customs field formations are directed to issue deficiency memos for duty drawback claims under section 74 of the Customs Act, 1962 in the prescribed format. The template lists the documents and information to be furnished, including the calculation sheet, shipping bill, export and import documents, proof of duty payment, declarations or certificates for IGST-related claims, an affidavit, RBI permission where necessary, and other relevant records. Non-compliance within thirty days will result in the claim being treated as not filed under the applicable drawback rules.

Customs refund processing requires assessment review before disposal, without rejecting claims solely for absence of a re-assessment order.
Customs refund applications requiring modification of a Bill of Entry assessment must not be rejected for want of a prior re-assessment order. The Appraising Refund Section must refer such claims to the concerned Appraising Group, which must determine whether re-assessment under Section 17 or amendment under Section 149 is permissible on the basis of import-time documentary evidence. Following receipt of the re-assessment order or communication that it cannot be issued, the Refund Section must dispose of the claim within the applicable permissible period.