TIOL-DDT 2474 · Thursday, 13 November 2014 · story 4 of 5

Customs - Exemption to Bunker Fuels

GOVERNMENT has exempted the following bunker fuels from the whole of the Customs Duty:

(i) IFO 180 CST;

(ii) IFO 380 CST.

The exemption is subject to the conditions:

(i) the bunker fuels are imported for use in ships or vessels which are registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958) and fly the Indian flag only;

(ii) such ships or vessels carry cargo between two or more Indian ports (including an intermediate foreign port);

(iii) such ships or vessels carry either containerised export-import cargo or empty containers or both between such ports;

(iv) such ships or vessels do not file any cargo related documentation under the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) with the Customs authorities, other than an import manifest (IGM) or an export manifest (EGM), as the case may be;

(v) the Master of the vessel or his authorised agent and the importer submit a declaration-cum-undertaking stating the quantity of bunker fuels required under this notification to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, based on a document certifying the consumption rate of fuel issued by any classification society which is a member of International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and the distance proposed to be covered by the vessel during its voyage;

(vi) the Master of the vessel or his authorised agent and the importer submit an undertaking to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, to pay, in the event of his failure to comply with any of the aforesaid conditions, an amount equal to the duty leviable on such goods but for the exemption contained therein, along with the applicable interest thereon.

IFO 180 CST means Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) with 180 centistoke (cst) viscosity.

A similar exemption is given in Central Excise also.

Both the exemption notifications are valid only for a period of six months up to 11th May 2015.

Notification No. , Dated: November 11, 2014, and Notification No. , Dated: November 11, 2014

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