Round the Clock Functioning of Transshipment cell and export of Perishable/Urgent cargo at ACC, Bangalore - Customs - 96/2011

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS BANGALORE CUSTOMS COMMISSIONERATE CR. BUILDINGS, QUEEN'S ROAD, BANGALORE-560001 PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 96/2011 CUS Date: 02-11-2011 Sub: Round the Clock Functioning of Transshipment cell and export of Perishable/Urgent cargo at ACC, Bangalore Bangalore Air cargo is emerging as a hub for import and export cargo for the Southern Region, and as a response to the trade demand for permission for transhipment operations round the clock, it has been decided to extend the facility of round the clock clearance of transhipment cargo. In this regard, the attention of the trade, importers, exporters, CHAs and all other concerns is drawn to the Public Notice No: 1/2011 dated 24.01.201l issued by the Commissioner of Customs, Bangalore and the Circular No: 06/2007-Cus dated 22nd January 2007 issued under F.No: 450/96/2006-Cus-IV by the Central Board of Excise Customs, New Delhi. 2. The procedure laid down in Public Notice No: 1/2011 dated 24.1.2011 shall be followed for Import-Export Transshipment Cargo, international transshipment cargo (foreign to foreign) and bonded trucking. In addition to the procedure for transshipment of cargo laid down in the above mentioned, circular the following procedure is laid down to operationalise the transshipment facility round the clock in Air Cargo Complex, Bangalore, w.e.f. 05/11/2011. 3. Round the Clock functioning of Transhipment Cell of Air Cargo Complex, Bangalore: The Transshipment Cell of Air Cargo Complex shall function 24x7 in two shifts in the following manner: i) Shift 1 shall function from 10.00 AM to 10.00PM and Shift 2 shall function from 10.00PM to 10.00AM. ii) Each shifts shall consists of 01 Superintendent and 01 Inspector. The Superintendent shall supervise all Transshipment operations and shall sign the cargo transshipment manifest (CTM) prepared by the carrier/console agent which shall be treated as application for transshipment. iii) The Inspector posted at Transshipment Cell shall also function as EFO/FO for the cargo. The Cargo mentioned in CTM shall be escorted by Import Freight Officer (IFO)/Export Freight Officer (EEO)/from the airport to the ware house of the Custodian/Airlines and vice-a-versa in the case of export transshipment cargo. 4. The Procedure for Bonded Trucking: The movement of Import cargo in bonded truck is as per the following procedures as laid down in Board's Circular No: 66/99-Cus dated 6.10.1999. (i) On the basis of the request made by the Airlines and in pursuance of power vested under Section 45(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, the Commissioner of Customs will appoint the Airlines or their duly approved agent as the custodian of all cargoes to be transshipped under bonded cargo trucking facility from airports/ACCs to ICDs/CFSs/Airports/ACCs in hinterland by road. The permit will be valid for one year from the date of issue initially and shall be renewed for every three years subsequently. (ii) The cargo to be transshipped should be manifested as for transshipment in the incoming international carrier which brings the cargo. In respect of console cargo where the Master Airway Bill does not show the final destination, the Airlines filing transshipment application should keep a copy of both Master Airway Bill and House Airway Bill to indicate that the particular consignment sought for transshipment is for other inland customs Airport/ICD/CFS/ACC. (iii) The Custodian should execute a suitable running bond with a bank guarantee for an amount approved by Commissioner of Customs concerned for proper accounting of cargo. The amount will be debited from this bond when the transshipment cargo is taken by the custodian and it will be credited when the proof of handing over of the cargo to customs at final destination is produced. The custodian will be responsible for any shortage or pilferage of the cargo. The custodian will insure such goods for full value as well as the customs duty involved. (iv) The Custodian will submit a list of trucks together with registration numbers to be used for movement of each transshipment cargo. The trucks so deployed for transport should be specially secured to avoid pilferage of cargo and there should be a provision of affixing of Customs 'Bottle Seals on these trucks. (v) The Airlines/Custodian should have a transshipment warehouse within the Airport Apron area so that the goods on unloading can be shifted to the transhipment warehouse without having to be moved outside the Airport area, The concerned Airlines/Custodian warehouse should have double locking. arrangement, one key of which will be with the Airlines/custodian and the other with Customs, for storage of transhipment cargo. Transhipment Officers will be posted at the Airlines/Custodian warehouse on cost recovery basis. (vi) The custodian so appointed i.e. Airlines and deciding to tranship the cargo will present transhipment application (CTM in 5 copies) along with the copy of Airway Bill (both Master copy and House Airway Bill wherever applicable) to the Customs officer incharge of transhipment clearance. The transhipment application should contain details such as (a) name and address of the importer; (b) name and address of the exporter; (c) country of origin; (d) Airport of destination; (e) flight No. and date; (f) Import Manifest No. and date; (g) description of goods; (h) value of the goods; (i) Nos. of packages; (j) weight gross/net; and (k) details of container/palletised vehicle on which the cargo consignment is to be carried. Documentation will be manual since transshipment module is yet to be developed in ICES 1.5. (vii) After scrutiny of T.P. application, the T.P. Officer will issue Customs Bottle Seal and hand it over to the Customs Officer supervising the loading of the cargo in container/truck. T.P. Officer will mention Sl. No. of Customs Bottle Seal on all copies of transhipment applications. (viii) On getting the transhipment permission the Custodian/Airlines will shift the goods from the warehouse to the make-up area earmarked for the purpose of palletisation/containerisation or shift the goods from their warehouse into the container/truck within the premises of the warehouse under the supervision of the Customs Officer posted for the purpose. After loading of the goods, the Customs Officer will seal the container/truck with Customs Bottle Seal and endorse all T.P. copies as:- Supervised the loading of No. of packages on container/truck No. ... destined to . Airport/ACC/CFS/ICD and sealed with Customs Bottle Seal No- On ... (date) covered by Transhipment Permit No. . Name and Signature of Customs Officer (ix) Original copy of T.P. application will be forwarded to the Import Freight Officer (IFO) of Customs at the Inland Airport/ACC/ICD/CFS of destination. Duplicate copy will be retained by T.P. Officer. Triplicate copy of T.P. application will be handed over to the Airlines/custodian. The 4th copy will remain with the Customs Officer posted in the Airlines/Custodian warehouse and supervising the loading of cargo. The 5th copy will be sent in sealed cover along with the truck/container to IFD of Customs at the Airport/ACC/CFS/ICD of destination who will retain it after verification of cargo. (x) The Import Freight Officer of Customs at the Inland Airport/ACC/CFS/ICD of destination will check the Customs Bottle Seals and description of packages as per T.P. copy. He will tally the packages with the copies of the manifest received and will ensure that the packages are in good condition. The safety and security of the packages is the responsibility of the custodian. In case of any damage at the time of intransit, it should be clearly indicated in all copies of manifest and attested by custodian. The IFO at the airport/ACC/CFS/ICD of destination after receiving the cargo shall give a suitable endorsement on the original T.P. copy. Checked Customs Bottle Seal and packages as per T.P. Application No. dated . arrived on Container/Truck No . on (date). Name and Signature of IFO Customs The IFO will retain the T.P. copy sent with the truck for record. (xi) The endorsed original T.P. copy will be presented by the Airlines/Custodian as evidence of handing over of the cargo to the transhipment officer at the Air Cargo Complex/Airport from where the transhipment permission was granted. On receiving such endorsed T.P. copy the transhipment officer will close the entry in the register. (xii) The Airlines/Custodian shall make necessary arrangements at the airport/ACC/ICD/CFS of destination to remove the cargo and deposit the same with custodians appointed under Section 45 of the Customs Act, 1962, under Customs supervision. (xiii) The Airlines/Custodian shall produce the evidence of handing over of the cargo at the Inland Airport/ACC/CFS/ICD of destination within 30 days from the dispatch of goods failing which suitable action will be taken. (xiv) The Airlines/Custodian will be required to bear the expenditure on cost recovery basis over the transhipment staff to be provided exclusively for this purpose. 5. International transshipment cargo (foreign to foreign): in addition to procedure laid down in Public Notice No: 1/2011 dated 24.1.2011; the following procedure shall also be permitted, a) International transshipped cargo (Foreign to Foreign), for the pre-sorted containers wherein Cargo does not require segregation, ramp to ramp or tail to tail transfer of cargo can be affected, provided the same is carried out under preventive supervision on payment of MOT and Observance of Cargo Transfer Manifest (CTM) procedure. In these cases, transshipment Cargo meant for destination abroad need not be sent to Cargo warehouses. In the case of containers other than pre-sorted containers, the existing procedure for transshipment of Cargo (Foreign to Foreign) would continue to apply. (Board Circular No. 8/2011-Cus., dated 28-1-201 refers) 6. The inspectors posted to the shift duty in the transhipment shall also function as IFO/EFO during the shift and discharge all the functions of IFO/EFO 7. The Superintendent and the inspector posted on the shift duty to the transhipment shall also attend to the export examination and clearance beyond the normal working hours of export sheds i.e from 10.11 AM to 9.00 PM, if there are any requests from the trade for export clearance after the normal working hours of export shed. This facility is extended on the payment of MOT charges by the concerned exporters, in respect of export of perishable goods like flowers, fruits, seeds and any other urgent export cargo covered under Free Shipping without claiming any export benefit. 8. The physical and IT infrastructure such as office space, furniture computers and the printers, rest room facilities for the night duty officers along with canteen facility shall be provided by the Custodians at Aircargo Complex Bangalore, viz., M/S AISATS Ltd and M/S Menzies Bobba Aviation Ltd. The transhipment facilities by the Customs shall be provided on cost recovery basis. 9. Difficulties, if any, in implementation of the above procedures may be brought to the notice of the undersigned or the Additional Commissioner of Customs, Air Cargo Complex, Bangalore. (B. BHATTACHARYA) Commissioner