Transhipment of goods/containers from a Gateway Port to a CFS of another Customs Station
BOARD Circular 18/2009-Cus disallows direct movement of consignments from Gateway Port to CFS of another Customs Station. However, in exceptional circumstances the jurisdictional Commissioners are empowered to allow such movement subject to certain conditions.
Representations have been received highlighting that insisting that the goods should be received first in an ICD before being taken to one of its attached CFSs increases the dwell time and transaction cost for the importers.
So, after examining the grievance and explaining the rationale that led to imposing the ‘restriction' in the first place, the Board has taken the view that suitable modification in ICES "may" be carried out to implement the direct movement of goods from a Gateway Port to a CFS and vice versa and till such time the electronic system is made operational the following procedure/interim methodology is prescribed for direct movement of containers from Gateway Port to a CFS:-
(i) At the Gateway Port, Customs shall prepare a consolidated list of all SMTP generated CFS-wise for consignments bound for an ICD. This list should be transmitted electronically by the gateway port to the receiving Customs station/(ICD).
(ii) The goods will move from the gateway port direct to the CFS under cover of a bond accepted by the Customs at the Gateway Port. The carrier will also carry the relevant SMTP in duplicate and hand over the same to the custodian at the CFS.
(iii) On arrival of the goods at the CFS attached to ICD, the custodian of the CFS shall prepare:
(a) A list of goods/container arrival, on daily basis. This list shall inter alia cover the detail of SMTP generated at the gateway port, a hard copy whereof is received along with the goods/containers. This list shall be signed by the custodians and shall be endorsed by Customs Officer in charge of the CFS. The custodian of the CFS shall forward the list of goods/container arrival, to ICD on daily basis.
(b) A Landing Certificate (LC) on the lines of a Container Arrival list signed by custodian.
(iv) The Custodian of CFS shall forward a copy of Landing Certificate duly endorsed by Customs at receiving end to the Customs at the Gateway Port for re-crediting the bond executed with Customs.
(v) On arrival of the goods/container inside the CFS, the Custodian along with the surveyor, if any, in presence of the Customs Officer shall verify the correctness of details of consignments and will make an endorsement in the SMTP. The endorsed SMTP shall be forwarded to concerned ICD. With receipt of endorsed SMTP and approval of Customs officer in charge at the ICD, local IGM shall be permitted to be filed at Service Center in case of LCL Cargo
(vi) The B/E will be filed at the ICD as usual and the goods will be examined and cleared at the CFS."
The Board further informs that this facility shall be extended to that CFS that is at a considerable distance from the ICD, or en route to an ICD.
It would have been considerate of the Board had the term "considerable distance" also been defined in the Circular itself.
In effect, the Board Circular No 18/2009-Cus dated 08.06.2009 stands modified to the above extent.
What is the difference between ICD and CFS?
Please see 09.06.2009
Circular No. , Dated: May 24, 2013