Centralised adjudication jurisdiction transferred and centralised audit cell established reallocating audit and post-clearance audit responsibilities.
The charge of the Centralised Adjudication Cell is transferred from NhavaSheva IV Commissionerate to NhavaSheva II Commissionerate with immediate effect. Separately, Import Audit, Post-Clearance Audit and On-site Post-Clearance Audit charges previously with NhavaSheva I Commissionerate are transferred to a newly created Centralised Audit Cell which shall function under NhavaSheva V Commissionerate.

Direct Port Entry procedure clarified: routing, parking plaza SOPs, Let Export Order fallback, refrigerated-container relaxation and gate verification.
Compilation consolidates DPE directions: factory stuffed export containers generally routed via designated CFSs with specified exemptions; subsequent expansion allowed direct entry for manufacturing entities. Terminal SOPs for Document Processing Areas and Parking Plazas address buffer yard use, cross terminal LEO issues, 24x7 officer deployment, and interim relaxation permitting refrigerated/perishable containers to enter terminals without Parking Plaza entry under prescribed procedure. Procedures for manual Let Export Order during system failures and Gate Officer verification (container number, seal number and condition) are prescribed. The compilation functions as a standing order and provides contact points for operational issues.

Hazardous export cargo: clearance requires documentation, scanning at Distripark, and 'clean' movement slip verification before port entry.
Revised procedure requires hazardous export consignments to be accompanied by ISO certificate (if available), cargo analysis report and Material Safety Data Sheet; Class 5, 8 and 9 may be physically examined in authorised CFSs under expert supervision, while other classes must be scanned at the JNCH Distripark scanner with Let Export Order issued and a 'clean' stamp on the movement slip before port entry, and any adverse scan communicated immediately for further examination.

Direct Port Delivery procedures require advance intimation and defined verification steps to streamline container clearance and stakeholder responsibilities.
Consolidated directives govern Direct Port Delivery procedures at JNCH, specifying DPD client registration and documentation, roles and responsibilities of shipping lines, port terminals and CFSs, and extensions of DPD eligibility. It prescribes advance intimation requirements, time-bound evacuation expectations from terminals, scanning and examination procedures for RMS and non-RMS consignments, verification of Out of Charge (OOC) and delivery orders, and operations of the DPD/RMS Facilitation Centre to process releases on a continuous basis.

Drawback refund claims digitization enables centralized electronic submission, unique ID tracking and digital retrieval of claims.
A dedicated service centre at JNCH will receive drawback refund claims including claims under Section 74, assign a unique ID and issue an acknowledgement; a vendor will digitize the claim and documents (collecting a prescribed fee and issuing a receipt showing the unique ID) and the hard copy will be forwarded for processing. Supplementary documents may be submitted and digitized against the same unique ID without additional fee, while any change in the claim needs prior approval of the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Customs of the Drawback section.

DPD facility: immediate movement to preferred CFS required when goods need examination; time limits must not delay clearance.
When a DPD importer's bill of entry is not RMS facilitated or containers require examination due to a CSD hold, containers must be moved from the port terminal to the preferred CFS nominated by the importer. The importer must promptly engage and notify the selected CFS, shipping line and terminal operator to ensure evacuation without delay; clearance shall continue from the CFS as per normal procedure. Port terminals must not apply the 48-hour limitation to delay such movements. Specific difficulties may be escalated to the DPD Cell.

Customs EDI system launch enables computerized processing of import and export customs declarations at Bhavnagar port.
Launch of the Customs EDI System (ICES 1.5) at Port of Bhavnagar is announced, directing importers, exporters, customs brokers, manufacturers and other trade stakeholders that computerized processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills will commence at the port and instructing affected parties to adopt the EDI interface for submission and processing of customs documentation.

Bill of Entry filing deadline tightened; late charges and expedited duty payment required, with transitional rules for earlier filings.
Amendments impose a late charge for delayed presentation of Bill of Entry by requiring presentation before the end of the next day after arrival at the customs station; BOE regulations set late charges and treat entry inwards or cargo arrival as the relevant date, with no charges for goods arrived before enactment. Separate amendment requires immediate payment of duty for self-assessed BOEs and accelerated payment where BOEs are assessed, reassessed or provisionally assessed after return, with transitional rules for BOEs filed before enactment.

Jurisdictional authority for SEZ refunds and demands shifts to customs and GST commissioners, altering refund processing and recovery.
Amendment to Rule 47 of the Special Economic Zone Rules assigns refund, demand, adjudication, review and appeal to jurisdictional Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax or GST authorities prospectively. A prescribed SOP requires refund claims to be filed with jurisdictional DC/AC, with Development Commissioner comments due within two weeks and speaking orders on sanction; draft demands are prepared by Development Commissioner offices and transferred with relied upon documents to jurisdictional DC/AC at least eight weeks before limitation expiry. Pending refunds that meet limitation and merit should be processed by customs officers; interest is calculated from receipt by jurisdictional formations. Exit duty liabilities are subject to SEZ exit provisions, with penal action by the Development Commissioner for specified foreign exchange failures, while duty demands are raised by jurisdictional authorities under the SOP.

Deferred payment of customs duty available to certified AEO importers subject to ICEGATE login and nodal OTP authentication.
Deferred payment of customs duty is available only to AEO Tier-Two and Tier-Three importers who obtain ICEGATE login and nominate a nodal person for OTP authentication. Intimation to the Commissioner or AEO Programme Manager is required. The importer must flag the Bill of Entry with "D"; the nodal person authenticates one or multiple Bills via OTP to trigger Customs clearance. Due dates follow Rule 6, and importers may select and pay challans from the deferred period at any time. Reports are available in ICES.

Customs EDI modernization enables electronic filing and automated processing of import Bills and Shipping Bills via centralized ICES and ICEGATE.
Centralized ICES implementation at ICD Kheda mandates electronic filing and automated processing of import Bills of Entry and export Shipping Bills via ICES/ICEGATE, requiring registration of IE/IEC codes, Customs Brokers, shipping agents, DGFT licences and bank accounts; standardized use of currency, unit, country and port codes; checklist verification and job numbering; system driven valuation, duty computation and automated assignment to Appraising Groups; RMS guided facilitation and examination workflows; and integrated modules for licence/bond registration, export promotion scheme debits, drawback and refund disbursal.

Export of carpet: use expert panels and nondestructive inspection; market enquiries within 15 days to protect export benefits.
Export of carpets under duty-drawback requires prompt, non-destructive determination of composition and value using expert panels including Carpet Export Promotion Council members or Textiles Committee Mumbai experts; market enquiries should be completed within fifteen days, export benefits may be withheld beyond that only with Commissioner's written approval, and exports must not be stopped. Inspectors must avoid damaging carpets during sampling; public notices and standing orders should be issued and difficulties reported to the Board.

Packaging compliance requirements for imported cigarettes require sale to consumer cooperatives or e auction if compliant, and mandatory destruction if non compliant.
Imported cigarette packs intended for retail must meet COTPA packaging and labelling specifications and Legal Metrology declarations; compliant seized/confiscated stocks may be sold to NCCF/Kendriya Bhandar or via e auction, while packs that do not meet statutory packaging, labelling or metrology requirements must be destroyed in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards. Where seizures involve suspected counterfeiting, Rule 11 of the IPR (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007 requires destruction or disposal outside normal commerce only with the right holder's concurrence.

Rebate of state levies on made-up exports requires selecting the ROSL scheme code on the shipping bill to claim rebate.
ROSL provides rebate of State VAT/CST and related levies accumulated in production of made-ups, calculated on FOB value using notified rates and caps and paid in parallel with drawback to the exporter's registered drawback account. Participation is optional and requires a claim-cum-declaration by selecting specified EDI shipping bill scheme codes at item level; selection of the scheme code is the sole means of claiming ROSL. The ROSL amount and declaration will print on the shipping bill, appear on ICEGATE, and absence of proper scheme code precludes the benefit.

Know Your Customer obligations for container leasing require identity, IEC verification and documentary checks to curb prohibited exports.
Shipping lines, container operators, agents and freight forwarders leasing or renting containers must follow Know Your Customer norms, retain at least three specified documents including a photo ID, verify IEC details (by email or phone) before delivery, accept payment by account-payee cheque or RTGS, and permit any change of exporter/goods/destination only after due verification. Violations will render the leasing entity responsible for export/attempted export of prohibited goods and liable for penal consequences under the Customs Act.

24x7 customs clearance enabled for RMS cleared imports and factory stuffed exports at a designated container freight station.
24x7 Customs clearance is authorised at M/S Sanco Trans Ltd CFS for RMS facilitated self assessed import Bills of Entry requiring no assessment or examination and for factory stuffed export containers/Free Shipping Bills. Despite RMS waivers, the Proper Officer must scrutinise documents and grant Out of Charge per statutory procedure. Traders must obtain mandatory pre clearances, register BE/SB with Customs Officers at the CFS in the EDI, and adhere to Compulsory Compliance Requirements. The CFS custodian must provide infrastructure for round the clock operations; officer postings and nodal contact details will be published for coordination.

Indian Customs EDI ICES 1.5 launched: mandatory registrations, electronic filing, automated duty calculation and centralized bond/license ledgers.
ICES 1.5 is launched at ICD Sachana to enable centralized electronic processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills; it mandates prior registrations (IE Code, Customs Brokers, Shipping Lines, DGFT licences, bank accounts), prescribes service centre and ICEGATE remote filing procedures including digital signatures, and automates valuation, duty calculation, licence/debit ledgers and bond management. Workflow assigns B/Es to Appraising Groups, supports first/second check examinations, concurrent audit, RMS risk based facilitation, and integrates DEPB/EPCG/EOU and other scheme ledgers with centralized debiting and Transfer Release Advice handling.

Rebate of State Levies scheme: exporters may opt to claim state-level input levies on made-ups, credited automatically.
The Rebate of State Levies (ROSL) Scheme allows exporters of made-ups to opt in at the item level via specified Shipping Bill scheme codes, thereby making a claim-cum-declaration of eligibility and non-duplication. Rebate is calculated on FOB value using notified rates and caps; disbursal is credited to the exporter's drawback-registered bank account in parallel with drawback and reflected in ICEGATE. Shipping Bills lacking the proper scheme code must be amended before LEO; system changes print ROSL amounts and the declarative checklist.

Manual registration of duty credit scrips when EDI is unavailable, requiring regional verification and alert check endorsements.
Temporary manual regime for registration and use of duty credit scrips when EDI is unavailable: present original license to License Section; obtain fax verification of genuineness from the regional office; verify license particulars and check Alert Register with a "no alert" endorsement; manually register the license and enter particulars in the alphabetical License Register. After registration, present Bills of Entry or Release Advices; License Clerk records debit/credit entries from the debit sheet and forwards documents to the audit clerk for endorsement against the relevant entry.

Customs broker licence renewal requirements: submission of specified documents ensures compliance and timely renewal under licensing regulations.
Applicants for renewal of a customs broker licence must submit specified documents to the Sevottam Section ninety days before expiry, including a declaration on constitution/address/accounts/pending cases/arrears, Form A, CHA licence copy, Form D bond, solvency certificate, identity and membership proofs, proof of premises change where applicable, and payment evidencing fee and the security deposit as fixed at original licence issuance. Deficiencies will be notified within fifteen days and the renewed licence issued within two months after complete submission.