New Delhi, April 25 Aimed at easing compliances and facilitating trade at air cargo complexes, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has introduced several trade facilitative measures in air cargo in particular and transhipment movement in general, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.
This is in line with the announcement in the Budget Speech 2025-26 by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on facilitating the upgradation of infrastructure and warehousing for air cargo, including for high-value perishable horticulture produce and streamlining the cargo screening and customs protocols and making it user-friendly.
Since old times, transhipment permit fee is required to be paid for every transhipment permit. Over a period of time, due to the increase in volume of trade, including transhipped cargo, some experienced delay in the process.
"As a measure for ease of business, the CBIC has examined this matter and with effect from 24th April 2025, the CBIC has decided to waive the transhipment permit fee henceforth for all the transhipment movements," the Board said.
Further, with the increase in the volume of air cargo, the need was felt by the trade for temporary removal of Unit Load Devices (ULD) outside Customs Area in certain cases of high-value or perishable cargo.
Currently, the cargo is being offloaded in the air cargo complexes from ULD before the clearance.
"As a first step towards streamlining Customs Protocols and aligning with the international best practices for movement of Unit Load Devices (ULD) outside Customs Area, CBIC has stipulated simplified and harmonised procedure for temporary import of ULDs on the lines of procedure already stipulated for marine containers being handled through the seaports since 2005," the ministry said.
With this simplified procedure, ULDs/air containers could also be imported temporarily outside the Customs area on execution of a continuity bond by the air carriers/air console agents, who take responsibility to export back within the specified time period.
The facility of the ‘All-India National Transhipment Bond’ at air cargo complexes has been operational since 2022.
This facility has been intended to avoid multiplicity of the bonds that are submitted by airlines at multiple Customs stations for transshipment of import cargo.
"In addition, Online filing of Transhipment application has also been enabled in ICEGATE, obviating the need for visiting the Service Centre at the Air cargo," the Board said
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