Electronic seal security vulnerability: use of specified RFID e-seals barred until further orders due to read-at-distance risk.
RFID electronic seals supplied from the identified manufacturer and its domestic vendors have a vulnerability that allows seal data to be read without the seal being locked, failing security requirements. Use of those RFID e-seals is prohibited until further orders; exporters and stakeholders must not use them and should report any difficulties to the customs dock authority.

IGST export refund rectification extended: one time officer interface procedure permits differential refund sanction after revised claim.
Extension of an officer-interface rectification facility permits exporters to obtain one-time sanctioning of differential IGST refunds for shipping bills already scrolled and filed up to 15.11.2018 where scrolls were generated for lesser IGST due to SB declaration errors, omission of Compensation Cess, GSTN transmission gaps, or officer typographical mistakes. Exporters must submit a duly filled Revised Refund Request (RRR) to AC (IGST Refund); the AC will verify and sanction the revised amount in ICES, after which a fresh scroll for the differential will be generated. The facility is available once per eligible shipping bill.

Vessel name and rotation details on shipping bills are auto-updated from the Export General Manifest; manual amendments unnecessary.
Amendment requests to change the Vessel Name/Rotation No. on Shipping Bills are unnecessary because those particulars are automatically populated and updated from the Export General Manifest (EGM); stakeholders should refrain from seeking manual amendments and report any difficulties to the Customs office.

Electronic sealing for customs bonded warehouses extended to allow time for infrastructure setup and procurement of seals.
The Board's updated regime for electronic sealing of goods deposited in and removed from Customs bonded warehouses is subject to an administrative extension of the implementation timeline to permit establishment of infrastructure and procurement of seals by warehouse owners; the extension follows earlier circulars notifying commencement of the electronic sealing requirement.

Electronic seal security: use of certain RFID e-seals banned and export containers subject to verification.
A security vulnerability was found in RFID electronic seals procured from M/s Leghorn Group, Italy and supplied by three named authorised vendors; those e-seals are not permitted for use until further orders. Export Gate Officers must verify at scanning that e-seals are properly locked, and the concerned Superintendent may order container examination based on perceived risk parameters. Trade parties must report any implementation difficulties to the issuing office.

Cargo manifest compliance mandates carrier registration, electronic filing, bond conditions for transhipment, and enforcement measures.
The regulations require mandatory registration of persons delivering arrival or departure manifests, prescribe electronic filing of structured manifests (general declaration, stores list, crew private property list and cargo declarations) with manual filing only by approval, mandate separate reporting for specified sensitive cargo, set conditions and bond requirements for transhipment through designated foreign routes, require carriers to maintain records, provide track and trace, and ensure safety and re export of hazardous goods, and establish procedural safeguards for suspension, revocation, penalties and appeals.

IGST export refund rectification: one time officer interface facility to sanction differential IGST refunds for eligible shipping bills.
Extension of an officer-interface rectification facility permits exporters with shipping bills filed up to 15.11.2018 to correct SB005 invoice mismatches and under-scrolled IGST refunds, including omissions of compensation cess. Exporters must submit a signed Revised Refund Request (RRR) and a scanned PPR to the designated AC/DC; after verification via the ICES officer interface, the AC/DC may sanction a fresh scroll for the differential IGST amount. The facility applies only to already scrolled shipping bills and is usable once per bill.

IGST refund rectification extended; exporters may obtain differential refunds via officer interface after submitting a Revised Refund Request.
Extension of the officer-assisted officer interface mechanism to rectify IGST refund shortfalls caused by exporter-declared errors, omission of Compensation Cess, or typographical mistakes; eligible exporters must submit a duly filed and signed Revised Refund Request (RRR) to the IGST Refunds office, after which the designated officer will verify and approve a fresh scroll in ICES for the differential amount. The facility applies only to Shipping Bills already scrolled and may be used once per Shipping Bill.

Kamardwisa LCS moves to mandatory electronic customs processing via ICES 1.5 with registrations, digital filing and automated assessment.
ICES 1.5 implementation at Kamardwisa (Rangapani) LCS mandates electronic filing and processing of all import/export declarations via ICES/ICEGATE and e SANCHIT; requires registration of IE Codes, Customs Brokers, transporters and exporters; prescribes Service Centre workflows for data entry, checklist verification, digital signatures for remote filing, service charges, working hours and MOT procedures; and details automated assessment, RMS facilitation, license and bond registration with centralized ledgers and debiting for scheme based exemptions.

IGST export refund mechanism extended to allow one-time officer-interface revision for eligible shipping bills under prescribed procedure.
Extension allows exporters to obtain revised IGST refund sanctions where earlier scrolls showed a lesser IGST amount due to declaration errors, omission of Compensation Cess, or officer typographical mistakes. Eligible Shipping Bills already scrolled and filed within the extended cut-off may be processed once via ICES officer interface after submission of a signed Revised Refund Request (RRR) to the designated AC/DC; the officer will verify and sanction the differential amount, producing a fresh scroll for the differential only.

Exporters must fix EGM and shipping bill errors to secure IGST refunds and submit required GST reconciliation documents.
Exporters must correct EGM coding and shipping bill data to enable IGST Refund under Rule 96; shipping bills in the IGST Temporary Scroll will not migrate to the Final Scroll if EGM errors (notably SB002, SB006) occur. Annexures list shipping bills with EGM, invoice mismatch (SB005) and shipping bill detail (SB001) errors. Exporters must submit self certified GSTR 1/Table6A, GSTR 3B and a concordance table, rectify GSTR 1 where required, and may use the extended Officer Interface for shipping bills filed up to 30.06.2018. Contact Deputy Commissioner, IGST Refund Section or Superintendent EDI for unresolved issues.

Brand rate fixation must be filed with the Duty Drawback Section; verification by the Export Promotion Circle follows.
The Exporter must file Brand Rate Fixation applications with the Duty Drawback Section of the Commissionerate. If verification of the application data is required, that verification will be carried out by the Customs formation designated as the Export Promotion Circle which has jurisdiction over the factory where the exported goods were manufactured.

IGST refund rectification extended; once-only SB005 correction permitted and revised IGST plus compensation cess to be sanctioned.
Shipping bills with SB005 invoice mismatches may be rectified using the alternate officer-interface mechanism for filings up to 15.11.2018 under Board Circular No. 40/2018-Customs. The Board's instructions prescribe processing of differential IGST refunds, including disbursal of compensation cess where applicable, and the rectification facility may be used only once per shipping bill to sanction the revised IGST amount.

Electronic sealing required for bonded warehouse deposits and transfers; RFID seals must be procured from the destination warehouse.
Importers authorised to deposit or transfer goods into Customs bonded warehouses must obtain RFID seals from the destination warehouse; the same requirement applies to warehouse to warehouse transfers. The notice places this electronic sealing protocol into effect from the stated implementation date and encloses the clarifying Board circular for strict compliance, inviting stakeholders to report implementation difficulties to the Commissioner's office.

IGST refund denials prompted by higher drawback claims require compliance with prescribed circular addressing identical rate situations.
Cases of IGST refund denials due to claiming a higher drawback rate, or where the higher and lower drawback rates were identical, are brought to attention with a directive for strict compliance with Board Circular No. 37/2018-Customs dated 09.10.2018; the circular is enclosed and stakeholders are asked to report implementation difficulties to the Commissioner's office.

IGST refund certification: Cost accountants can issue certificates to enable sanction of pending refund claims caused by transmission mismatches.
An interim mechanism allows sanction of pending IGST refund claims where GSTN-to-Customs transmission failed due to GSTR-1/GSTR-3B mismatches, permitting refunds on exporter undertakings and accountant certification with post-refund audit. The department now authorizes Cost Accountants to issue the required certificates under that mechanism to facilitate immediate processing of affected refund claims.

Anti-dumping duty sunset review: importers must be notified of pending litigation and clearances accounted; trade notice to be issued.
Following a sunset review that found no justification to continue anti-dumping duty on saccharin, the High Court issued a civil notice directing that clearances be accounted for and importers be informed that litigation is pending; customs authorities are instructed to issue a Trade Notice quoting the Court's observations and publish it widely so trade and importers are aware of the pending litigation and the need to account for clearances.

IGST refund rectification extended: exporters may file a revised refund request to recover differential IGST via officer interface.
An ICES-based officer-interface rectification facility is extended to process and sanction differential IGST refunds, including instances involving Compensation Cess, for shipping bills filed up to 15.11.2018 where original refund scrolls were generated for a lesser amount. Exporters must submit a signed Revised Refund Request (RRR) to the designated AC/DC (with an optional scanned email copy); the designated officer will verify and sanction the differential via ICES, generating a fresh scroll for the differential alone. The facility applies only to already scrolled shipping bills and is available only once per eligible bill; exporters and officers must exercise due diligence.

IGST export refunds extension of alternate mechanism and revised processing; stakeholders must follow the central circular for claims.
Extension of the IGST export refund alternate mechanism under SBOO5 and revised processing steps are announced to streamline sanction of refund claims and include disbursal of compensation cess, with stakeholders directed to follow the enclosed central circular for detailed procedures and compliance to ensure effective and speedy resolution.

Provisional release of goods requires sample-module entries in ICES before LEO to prevent premature drawback transmission.
Provisional release of export goods where samples are taken for market enquiry or testing may be allowed upon bond or bank guarantee. The Inspector must enter remarks in the sample module of ICES and the Superintendent must ensure this entry before granting LEO. After test reports or value determinations are received, the Inspector must update the test report column; only then will the Shipping Bill transmit to the drawback queue, preventing premature drawback disbursal.