Mandatory declaration of GSTIN, IEC and email address of importer in the Bills of Lading obtained by shipper

Circular No.ES/315/2017-18 March 12, 2018

To: Members of the Council

Sub: Mandatory declaration of GSTIN, IEC and email address of importer in the Bills of Lading obtained by shipper

Dear Member,

This is to inform you that JNCH (Nhava Sheva) has issued Public Notice No. 33/2018 dated 07.03.2018 on the above mentioned subject.

It has been observed by the Customs that the consignments of hazardous waste, other waste or restricted items are imported in the name of certain importers and remain un-cleared. Subsequent investigation in the aforesaid cases revealed that no such importer actually exists / or comes forward to claim the cargo. It is suspected that these consignments have been imported for the purpose of dumping of hazardous waste from the exporting country and are posing a serious environmental threat.

Further, it has been decided to gradually do away with consignment wise DPD intimation (72 hours advance intimation being submitted by importer in respect of each consignment to shipping lines) with one time default intimation, in order to give further impetus to Direct Port Delivery (DPD).

Hence, it is essential to capture basic details of importer in the Bill of lading itself so that such details can be used to decide DPD stacking code and for various other purposes.

In order to ensure that the basic details of importers in India are captured by shipping lines at the time of booking of such consignments at the stage of bill of lading” stage and to further speed up the import declaration processing and clearance, it has been decided that:

Importers are required to ensure that following basic details are informed to their exporters abroad so that these details are incorporated in the bills of lading issued at the time of booking of such consignments.

a. Import & export Code (IEC) of importer;

b. GST Identification No (GSTIN) of importer;

c. Official email id of importer (to be used for correspondence by shipping lines and Customs).

Shipping lines operating / functioning at Nhava Sheva are also required to ensure that they obtain such details from exporters abroad, if such consignments are to be discharged at Nhava Sheva (JNPCT or GTI or NSICT / NSIGT or BMCTP terminals) and indicate the same in the IAL submitted to the Terminal.

Further, such details may be used by shipping lines for informing the stacking code of the container to the importer.

The revised requirement for imports at Nhava Sheva Port and shipping lines as mentioned in the above paragraph and would be applicable from 1st April 2018 (i.e. all bills of lading issued on or after 1st April 2018 should contain aforesaid additional details).

In case of any difficulty, members may kindly contact the Deputy / Assistant Commissioner in charge of DPD Cell, NS-III or Appraising Main (Import) through email / phones (dpd.amijnch@gmail.com or appraisingmain.jnch@gov.in / Tel. No: 022-27244959, 022-27244979).

Members may kindly make a note of the above.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

S.BALARAJU
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR