Monitoring of expired bonds and seized goods requires consolidated monthly reports and mandatory marking to disposal units.
Mandatory consolidation and monthly submission of lists by concerned AC/DCs and the Bond Section to the Disposal Section for seized, confiscated and bonded goods ripe for disposal; Orders in Original directing confiscation and any CFS hold instructions must be marked to the CFSs and to the Disposal Section to monitor and prevent long standing containers.

Drawback authority for DTA-to-SEZ supplies rests with the Specified Officer, disclaimers shift sanction to the jurisdictional Commissioner.
The Specified Officer posted in the SEZ is the disbursing authority for drawback claims on supplies from DTA units to SEZ units or Developers, and Customs formations outside the SEZ shall not process such claims where entitlement exists. If the SEZ unit or Developer issues a disclaimer, the jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs over the DTA supplier will sanction the drawback and, in consultation with the Pay & Accounts Officer, authorize and issue drawback cheque books; brand rate fixation applications remain with the Commissioner of Customs having jurisdiction over the manufacturer.

Empanelment for valuation: additional chartered engineers named for second hand machinery examination at New Customs House.
Under the CBEC circular on valuation of old and used machinery, the Commissioner of Customs (Import) has empanelled additional Chartered Engineers and Inspection and Certification Agencies with immediate effect to carry out valuation and examination of imported second hand machinery at the New Customs House, and directs that the list be brought to the attention of importers, customs agents and trade members.

Duty credit transferability expanded allowing use against import, service tax and central excise liabilities under new trade policy.
Duty credit rewards under MEIS and SEIS are issued by DGFT and are freely transferable to debit customs duty on imports (subject to appendix 3A), service tax on procurements and central excise on domestic procurements; MEIS covers specified e commerce exports via designated courier terminals and mandatory intent declaration on shipping bills is being phased in. Advance Authorization is restricted to standardised norms, DFIAs are post export and transferable with basic customs duty exemption (fuel excluded), and EPCG obligations and installation certification rules have been rationalised. Verification, monitoring and validity of authorisations and scrips are emphasised.

Integration of SEZ and Customs EDI enables automated IGM and Shipping Bill exchange for streamlined import and export clearance.
Integration of SEZ Online with the Customs EDI System automates IGM and Shipping Bill exchanges so SEZ Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills are transmitted electronically to ICES, eliminating specified manual endorsements and register-based procedures. An online-generated transhipment number and ICES release/SEZ goods-receipt/warehousing message sequence will govern movement, custody and closure of IGM lines, while Preventive Officer verification of marks, container and seal details remains mandatory and existing mismatch procedures continue.

Customs Cargo Service Provider appointment establishes custodianship duties and compliance obligations for air cargo handling at Sahar.
Appointment of M/s. Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) as a Customs Cargo Service Provider/Custodian at Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai is made under Sections 45(1) and 141(2) of the Customs Act, 1962 for two years from 16.04.2015, subject to a custodianship bond and compliance with the Customs Act, the Handling of Cargo in Customs Area Regulations, 2009, insurance of stored goods, payment for pilfered/unaccounted duty, cost recovery for posted Customs officers, provision of infrastructure and manpower, prohibition on unauthorized transfer or outsourcing, publication of charges and strict recordkeeping and access controls.

Transshipment procedure electronicised in ICES 1.5 enabling CTM and TP filing, approvals, cancellations, loading and gate in processes.
Electronic transshipment in ICES 1.5 mandates filing and customs approval of a Cargo Transfer Manifest (CTM) by the importing airline (post IGM, pre BE) and subsequent filing and approval of a Transshipment Permit (TP) by a registered Transshipment Agency (with bond and PLA account). System validation against IGM/Consol/CTM is required at submission; ACT approval generates CTM/TP numbers, debits bond/fees, marks IGM/consol lines, enables custodial transfer, and makes TP data available to the destination for gate in tallying and BE regularisation.

Transshipment module implementation: electronic Gate In process conditions Bill of Entry filing and bond re credit.
The ICES 1.5 implementation requires transshipment movements to be processed electronically: a Transshipment Permit at the gateway, cargo loading and transport details entered by the Preventive Officer, and a signed Cargo Arrival Report at the destination. The Gate-In-Officer records gateway code, TP details, transport and line information, packet counts and packet condition in ICES; matched counts permit Bill of Entry filing, damaged goods require 100% pre-checking, mismatches bar filing, and full tallying of all lines closes the TP and re-credits the gateway bond/BG.

Customs clearance facilitation: establish port level committees to coordinate agencies and expedite import export clearance processes.
Establish a Customs Clearance Facilitation Committee (CCFC) at each major seaport and airport, chaired by the Chief Commissioner/Commissioner of Customs with senior local representatives of regulatory agencies and stakeholders. CCFC functions include monitoring expeditious clearance per parent ministry timelines, identifying and resolving procedural and infrastructural bottlenecks, initiating Time Release Studies, recommending best practices, resolving trade grievances, meeting at least weekly, publicising contact details, preparing SOPs and timelines, and reporting periodically to the Board.

Integration of SEZ Online with Customs EDI enables electronic transhipment and cargo release workflows from ports to SEZs.
Integration of SEZ Online with ICES establishes an electronic import and export workflow: ICES supplies IGM data to SEZ Online, Bills of Entry integrate IGM data and, upon rectification of infirmities, assessed B/Es are transmitted to ICES. ICES generates a Transhipment Number after verification, marks B/Es to the Preventive Officer for physical release, and sends a release of goods message to SEZ Online. SEZ Online must then provide goods receipt and warehousing messages to ICES, which will close IGM lines; manual quintuplicate endorsements, TSA registers and physical re-warehousing certificates are dispensed with.

Transshipment of air cargo must use ICES 1.5 with a mandatory Gate-in process recording arrival and enabling BE filing.
Transshipment from Air Cargo Complexes to other Air sites or ICDs must be processed in ICES 1.5. A mandatory Gate-in process at the destination, carried out by a Gate-in Officer using a signed Cargo Arrival Report from the custodian, records arrival. Pre-requisites include an issued Transshipment Permit, cargo loading report with transport details entered by the Preventive Officer, physical receipt and a signed line wise package list. The system validates packet counts and condition; matching lines permit Bill of Entry submission, damaged packets require 100% pre checking, mismatches block BE filing, and full tally closes the TP and re credits the gateway bond.

Air cargo transshipment now processed electronically via ICES 1.5: CTM and TP filings, validations, loading and gate in controls.
Implementation of an ICES 1.5 transshipment module mandates electronic filing, approval and cancellation of Cargo Transfer Manifests (CTM) and Transshipment Permits (TP), with system validation against IGM/Consol data, prohibition on prior Bill of Entry filing for CTM lines, bond/Bank Guarantee and PLA checks for TP approval, generation of CTM/TP numbers on ACT approval, Preventive Officer loading reports at gateway, and Gate in Officer tallying at destination to enable BE submission and bond re credit.

Resident firm classification extends Advance Ruling scheme to firms, including LLPs, sole proprietorships and One Person Companies.
Specifies resident firm as a class of persons for the purposes of sub-clause (iii) of clause (c) of section 28E of the Customs Act, thereby extending the Advance Ruling scheme to resident firms. The notification defines "firm" to include limited liability partnerships, limited liability partnerships without a company partner, sole proprietorships and One Person Companies, and treats "resident" with the meaning applicable to a resident firm under the Income-tax Act.

SAD refund claims may be filed at importing customs stations; claims are limited monthly per station.
Importers may file refund claims for SAD at the Customs stations where imports are made, but the number of such claims at each Customs station is limited to one in a particular month; the earlier restriction of one claim per importer per Commissionerate is modified and field formations are to publicise the revised procedure and report any implementation difficulties to the Board.

Simplification of shipping customs procedures: reduced hardcopy demands and streamlined transhipment permissions to speed clearance.
The Board limits physical Import General Manifest submissions to two hard copies where electronic IGM exists, requires only one hard copy of the Sub Manifest Transhipment Permit except for amendment needs, allows steamer agents to use a continuity bond (and merge guarantees) to replace repeated bonds, and removes the need for separate permission upon change of transport mode for transhipment provided the carrier intimates the change and the bond covers both modes.

Suo moto payment of customs duty allows exporters to prepay self calculated duty and interest pending authoritative reconciliation.
Facility allows Advance/EPCG authorisation holders with acknowledged regularisation applications to make suo moto payment by depositing self calculated duty and interest in cash at the designated bank or by presenting eligible duty credit scrip for debit, with paid challans submitted to Customs. Upon RA's detailed computation, Customs will reconcile actual duty and interest against amounts already deposited/debited, require payment of any balance, and on receipt of the RA's redemption letter will reconcile and initiate release of the bond or bank guarantee.

Digital Signature Certificate usage in customs filings enhances document integrity and enables electronic submission without physical signatures.
Digital Signature Certificate use is authorized for electronic submission of Bills of Entry, Shipping Bills, IGMs, EGMs and CGMs via Remote EDI System to ensure integrity and non-repudiation; the facility is optional generally but mandatory for Accredited Client Programme importers for Bills of Entry. A web-based Common Signer on ICEGATE and Class III certificates from notified Certifying Authorities are required; ICEGATE will verify certificate validity, public key and CRL status and flag signed submissions in the ICES database, enabling customs officers to identify digitally signed filings and reducing the need for physical signatures and hard copies.

Online message exchange enables electronic BE transmission and receipt of Release Orders, blocking clearance until agency RO received.
Implementation of an online message exchange requires ICES to transmit Bills of Entry to FSSAI and PQIS and to receive electronic Release Orders before permitting Out of Charge; six RO types are specified, routine Customs formalities continue during processing, consignments repeatedly found in order may be exempted from referral, and electronic ROs will be accepted in lieu of physical copies.

Authorization of additional banks for e-payment collection of customs duty expands e-collection and prescribes settlement and compliance steps.
Nine additional public sector banks are authorized to collect customs duty by e-payment; designated e-FPB branches will receive e-receipts from EDI locations, transmit daily electronic EASeR-C format scrolls/challans to e-PAO, Customs, New Delhi, and settle funds with RBI via CAS Nagpur. Banks will also supply physical scrolls/challans as an interim measure, must follow the revised Memorandum of Instruction and RBI guidelines on collection and remittance (including interest on delayed remittance), and must include the e-FPB BSR Code on challans and the e-PAO Code on e-scrolls.

Import restriction on second-hand tyres: imports for direct reuse are prohibited and regulated as hazardous waste.
Importation of second-hand pneumatic tyres for direct reuse is not permitted; such tyres that do not enable resource recovery or recycling are regulated under Schedule III B of the Hazardous Waste Rules, and import/export requires application to the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The Technical Review Committee noted adequate domestic manufacturing capacity, the general requirement of BIS certification (except OEM-authorized dealer imports), and the absence of a simple test for road safety or residual tyre life for customs use.