24x7 Customs Operation at Major Ports and Airports
VIDE Board Circular No dated 07.08.2012, 24X7 Customs clearance was made operational on pilot basis with effect from 01.09.2012 at identified Air Cargo Complexes and Sea ports for following item of imports/exports:-
(a) Facilitated Bills of Entry where no examination and assessment is required; and
(b) Factory stuffed export containers and export consignment covered by Free Shipping Bills.
The Board now informs that as a progressive step towards trade facilitation measure and to enhance coverage of this facility, the same is being extended to following Air Cargo Complexes with effect from 1.06.2013 viz. (i) Ahmedabad, (ii) Amritsar, (iii) Bangalore, (iv) Cochin, (v) Calicut, (vi) Coimbatore, (vii) Goa, (viii) Hyderabad, (ix) Indore, (x) Jaipur, (xi) Nashik, (xii) Vishakhapatnam, (xiii) Thiruvananthapuram.
In addition to the above Board has decided that with effect from 1.06.2013 , 24X7 Customs clearance facility should cover export of all goods (in addition to factory stuffed export containers and export consignment covered by Free Shipping Bills ) at following Air Cargo Complexes [Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore] where this facility is already operational.
It is further clarified that 24X7 Customs clearance of imported goods at these Air Cargo Complexes will continue to be limited only for facilitated Bills of entry where no examination and assessment is required.
The Board also mentions that in case of Seaports i.e. Chennai, JNPT, Kandla and Kolkata where 24X7 Customs clearance facility is available, there shall be no change in the current system of 24X7 Customs Clearance.
Incidentally, the Board wants the Chief Commissioners of Customs to divert Customs staff for deployment at these Customs locations within the existing staff for the time being and also work out the additional manpower requirement and send the same to Board. Such a direction and request was also made in the earlier Circular 22/2012 issued ten months ago. As mentioned, the facilitation has already come into effect from 01.06.2013 and hopefully the Trade is aware of it.
Instruction 03, F. No. IV Dated: May 21, 2013