Amendment under section 149: cancellation of OOC requires DC/AC approval before AO/EDI acts; bank account registration requires bank verification.
Cancellation of Out of Charge status to permit amendments under the Customs Act is to be undertaken by AO/EDI only after prior approval of the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of the concerned group and the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner (EDI), identifying the DC/AC as the proper officer; AO/EDI will cancel the OOC in ICES after such approvals. Bank account registration with AD code and IFSC requires IEC submission via E Sanchit; EA/TA EDI verifies bank authorisation/NOC and obtains bank confirmation if needed, then places the verified request before AO/EDI, who approves registration/modification after satisfying compliance with public notices.

AD Code and bank account registration requires E-Sanchit documents, bank confirmation, and same-day processing after verification.
Online registration or modification of AD Code/IFSC-linked bank accounts in ICES is enabled through ICEGATE, with supporting documents submitted through E-Sanchit. Fresh registration requires a bank authorisation letter, IEC, GST registration certificate, entity and authorised-signatory PAN cards, and a cancelled cheque. IFSC modification additionally requires an NOC from the bank holding the account registered in ICES. Bank confirmation is transmitted directly or cross-checked by email, and verified requests are processed in the system on the same day.

Prohibition on PABA in health supplements: imported products containing PABA will be refused clearance immediately.
Imported health supplements and nutraceutical products containing PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) are banned and shall not be cleared for import; affected manufactured or imported products must be withdrawn from the market. Customs directs importers, brokers and trade associations to publicise the ban; the notice is to be treated as a Standing Order and queries are to be referred to the Additional Commissioner (Technical).

Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunications Equipment requires certification before import or sale, effective from October.
Mandatory testing and certification under MTCTE Phase II requires testing and certification of specified telecommunications equipment (Transmission Terminal Equipment, PON family broadband equipment, and feedback devices) via the MTCTE portal; applications accepted from 25 June 2020 and certification mandatory for import, sale or use with effect from 1 October 2020.

Customs duty exemption review: public invited to submit suggestions online; departmental officers to promote participation.
An online public consultation has been launched to solicit suggestions for review of Customs duty exemption notifications and Customs laws and procedures via the MyGov Innovate portal. Stakeholders including importers, exporters, brokers, shipping agents, custodians, trade associations and the public are invited to submit inputs within the prescribed submission window. The notice directs departmental officers to promote the initiative and treats the Public Notice as a Standing Order for creating awareness and facilitating participation; difficulties may be reported to the Commissioner.

SCMTR stakeholder registration requires timely onboarding, bond compliance where applicable, and approval before Sea Cargo Manifest obligations commence.
SCMTR registration is mandatory for authorised custodians, carriers, sea agents, terminal operators, e-seal authorisees and transhippers before their Sea Cargo Manifest and Transshipment obligations commence. Unregistered stakeholders must complete onboarding immediately. A dedicated SCMTR Cell facilitates registration, and stakeholders required to furnish a bond or bank guarantee must submit the relevant security to the Cell for system registration and approval by the concerned officer.

Health supplements containing PABA banned; immediate prohibition on manufacture, sale and import clearance of such products.
The instruction mandates an immediate prohibition on the use of PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) in health supplements and nutraceuticals, prohibits further manufacturing with PABA, requires withdrawal of products already manufactured or imported, directs e commerce operators to de list such products immediately, and instructs Authorized Officers and Customs to prevent clearance of imported products containing banned ingredients and to ensure mandatory compliance.

Telecommunications equipment: testing and certification for specified Phase II devices mandatory from 1 October 2020; applications accepted online.
Mandatory testing and certification under phase II of the MTCTE regime makes testing and certification compulsory for Transmission Terminal Equipment (SDH, multiplexing), PON family broadband equipment (PON ONT, PON ONU, PON OLT) and Feedback Devices from 1 October 2020; applications were acceptable on the MTCTE portal from 25 June 2020, and certification is required for sale, import or use in India. Customs and departmental officers must issue instructions to ensure trade compliance and report implementation issues to the Board.

Adoption of e-Office encourages PDF electronic communications with contact details for immediate acknowledgement and diary reference.
Launch of e-Office in the Audit Commissionerate, Kochi implements a transition to a paperless environment to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability and service delivery. Taxpayers are encouraged to use electronic communications in PDF, preferably searchable, and to provide mobile and email details to receive immediate acknowledgements and a Diary Number for future reference.

Customs duty exemption review: public crowdsourcing portal invites stakeholder suggestions to reform exemptions and customs procedures.
An administrative instruction establishes an online public consultation to solicit suggestions for review of Customs duty exemption notifications and related customs laws and procedures, directs field formations to promote the portal and encourage stakeholder participation, and asks that any difficulties in implementation be reported to the Board.

Customs custodian renewal preserves CFS responsibility for imported and export cargo, subject to regulatory compliance and review.
Custodian and Customs Cargo Services Provider status for M/s. Central Warehousing Corporation, D' Node Container Freight Station is renewed for five years from 15 March 2020. The custodianship covers imported goods until clearance for home consumption, warehousing or transhipment, and export cargo until exportation after examination and stuffing. The provider must comply with the Customs Act and cargo-area regulations. Approval remains subject to review before expiry for regulatory non-compliance or Government directions.

First-time importer verification: documentary and address checks require submission of registration, bank certification, and payment proof.
First-time importer verification requires submission one week before consignment arrival of GST/VAT/Sales Tax registration, a bank certificate confirming account maintenance and remittance purpose, proof of payment through the importer's account, last year balance sheet, and last tax return; customs brokers must assist and SIIB/ICD/CFS authorities will conduct document and physical address verification, trigger alerts on adverse findings, and supervise examinations, with manufacturer-exporters exempt from SIIB NOC but traders subject to SIIB verification.

Import of livestock products: no customs sealed samples for No Testing lines; clearance on Veterinary Health Certificate via SWS.
Consignments of livestock products classified in the No Testing category will not require customs sealed samples for AQCS clearance; instead AQCS clearance will be granted on the Single Window System based on a Veterinary Health Certificate uploaded with the Bill of Entry, while Customs must ensure physical identification of those consignments under existing laws. This change takes immediate effect for the listed tariff lines mapped under the Risk Management System.

Veterinary Certificate requirement: one-time AQCS clearance allowed for certain milk products with sanitary certification.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying permits a one-time administrative AQCS clearance for certain milk products subject to fulfilment of sanitary and hygienic certification, with the relaxation being non-precedential; the Commissionerate has amended the public notice accordingly while leaving other provisions unchanged.

AGMARK certification requirement now mandatory before import of blended edible vegetable oils; non-compliance attracts customs penalties.
Imports of Blended Edible Vegetable Oils are allowed only in sealed, tamper proof packages not exceeding 15 kilograms, labelled as "Blended Edible Vegetable Oil" and bearing AGMARK certification; imports without AGMARK are prohibited. BEVO must comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act and related regulations, and clearance will follow the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. Non compliance with certification, labelling, packaging or import procedure may attract penal action under the Customs Act, 1962.

Faceless assessment facilitation: Turant Suvidha Kendras centralise bond and document verification for remote customs appraisal.
TSKs are established to facilitate the phased roll-out of faceless assessment by centralising receipt, verification, custody and electronic marking of Bonds, Bank Guarantees and physical documents uploaded to e-Sanchit. Officers have defined roles: senior officers accept Bonds/BGs and perform legal checks; superintendents supervise acceptance/cancellation; inspectors and tax assistants conduct scrutiny, maintain registers, ensure safe custody, scan and cross-reference documents, and mark verified/defaced items in the system. Workflow includes register entry, ICES job generation, dual hard copy and electronic acceptance, and retention/forwarding protocols for warehousing bonds. Single continuity bonds to be accepted only post roll-out.

Turant Customs contactless procedures: nationwide Turant Suvidha Kendras enable faceless assessment and electronic submission of trade documents.
Extension of Turant Suvidha Kendras to all customs formations to act as single point interfaces for electronic document verification under faceless assessment; electronic reliance on e Sanchit for assessment and CCV, limited physical submissions at TSKs with safekeeping procedures, continued verification during physical examination, ICEGATE functionality for online AD code and bank account registration with e Sanchit uploads and status dashboard, and automated ICES debit of bonds when bond details accompany the bill of entry.

Faceless assessment facilitation: single-point TSK to verify e-Sanchit documents and manage bond acceptance for imports.
A Turant Suvidha Kendra at Mundra is established to support faceless assessment by accepting bonds, verifying documents uploaded on e-Sanchit, and performing physical actions like defacement and debiting where required. Importers must upload supporting documents to e-Sanchit before presenting originals; TSK officers will match soft copies to originals, record verification and defacement/debiting in the ICES system, and make confirmations available to Assessment and OOC officers. The TSK will accept a wide range of bonds and will acknowledge all documents received.

Turant Suvidha Kendra centralises bond acceptance and document verification to enable system based faceless assessment processing.
A Turant Suvidha Kendra at Mundra centralises acceptance of various import related bonds and physical document handling to support faceless assessment. Importers must upload supporting documents to e Sanchit before presenting originals; TSK officers will match electronic uploads with originals, perform defacement/debiting where required, and record verification outcomes in ICES so Assessment and CCV officers can rely on system confirmations, while examination stage validations with goods continue as before.

All Industry Rates of Duty Drawback updated: higher rates for footwear and gold, reclassification of vinyl sulphone ester, AMT cars included.
Amendments to the All Industry Rates (AIRs) of Duty Drawback increase AIRs and caps for specified leather footwear and gold jewellery, rationalise rates for silver jewellery, reclassify Vinyl Sulphone Ester to a corrected tariff item while preserving its rate and cap, and broaden motor car tariff descriptions to include Automated Manual Transmission so AMT cars can claim the same AIRs as Manual Transmission vehicles; the Board requires issuance of public notices and reporting of implementation difficulties.