CBIC's 2022 Study Highlights 16% Improvement in Air Cargo Release Times, Urges Further Enhancements in Trade Facilitation.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) released the National Time Release Study (NTRS) 2022, evaluating cargo clearance processes at major customs formations. The study, covering seaports, air cargo complexes, inland container depots, and integrated check posts, showed improvements in average cargo release times, with air cargo complexes seeing a 16% improvement. The study highlights advancements in pre-arrival processing, risk-based facilitation, and direct port delivery. Despite improvements, export logistics processes still consume significant time post-regulatory clearance. Recommendations were made to further reduce release times and enhance the trade facilitation ecosystem in line with the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan.