- The government extended export cargo relief till March 31 due to Strait of Hormuz disruption
- New SOP issued under Customs Act addresses Gulf region conflict impacts on exports
- International transshipment for LCL cargo now allowed at all notified ports till March 31
The government on Tuesday extended a relief programme for export cargo till March 31 amid the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz caused due to the Iran war. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs issued fresh SOP under the Customs Act given the prolonged conflict in the Gulf region.
Last week, the government prescribed a simplified procedure for handling export consignments that are unable to reach destination ports and are returning to Indian ports. This measure was in place till March 23.
The government has now extended international transshipment for less than container load (LCL) to all notified ports and airports till March 31. The allowance was earlier restricted to select ports like Chennai and Cochin.
Temporary unloading and storage of diverted liquid and bulk cargo will be permitted within a customs area.
Under the relief measures, containers returning to India can be taken off vessels at the port terminal without filing the standard import paperwork such as a Bill of Entry, subject to verification of shipping documents.
Customs authorities will verify the container details against the corresponding shipping bills and check the integrity of container seals. Containers with tampered or broken seals will be subjected to 100% examination.
The CBIC had also allowed cancellation of shipping bills for such consignments, including in cases where the Export General Manifest (EGM) has already been filed. A new system option will be introduced in the ICES platform to facilitate cancellation of shipping bills post-EGM to ensure export incentives are not disbursed in such cases.
The narrow Strait of Hormuz linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea is one of the most important conduit for trade for India. The waterway has been virtually blocked by Iran since the outbreak of the war with Israel and the United States.
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