Now, containers can go straight to CFS

according to the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) Circular in 2009, direct movement of consignments from Gateway Port to CFS of another Customs Station is not allowed. These are transported first to a ICD and then to the connected CFS for physical clearance. It is only in exceptional circumstances on account of congestion etc, the jurisdictional Commissioners are empowered to allow the movement of consignments from Gateway Port directly to a CFS of another Customs Station. However, for quite some time the industry people are urging for special the arrangements (i.e shipments to be transported direct to CFS) to reduce dwell time and transaction cost. After examining the matter CBEC, on May 24, announced that there is a justification to allow the direct movement of goods from a Gateway Port to a CFS and vice versa, while at the same time ensuring proper accountability of the goods to safeguard revenue. According to the existing practice, when goods consigned for an Inland Container Depot (ICD) are imported at a Gateway Port, these are transported first to the ICD and then to the connected CFS for physical clearance. The existing restriction in disallowing direct movement of goods is because the Indian Custom EDI System (ICES) module, which does not allow generation of Sub Manifest Transhipment Permit (SMTP) to allow the goods move directly from a Gateway Port to CFS. The Board has now decided that modifications to the ICES should be carried out to permit the simplification of transhipment. At the gateway port, Customs shall prepare a consolidated list of all SMTP generated CFS-wise for consignments bound for an ICD. 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.