Granting cabotage relaxation permission to foreign flag ships carrying passengers to call at more than one Indian Port - Customs - 17/2017

OFFICE OF THE PR. COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS (GENERAL) NEW CUSTOM HOUSE, BALLARD ESTAE, MUMBAI 400 001 F.No. S/43-485/2015-16 P Date: 13/02/2017 Public Notice No. 17/2017 Granting cabotage relaxation permission to foreign flag ships carrying passengers to call at more than one Indian port. 1. Attention of all concerned is invited to order No. Sr.-11021/1/2009-MG dated 06.02.2009 of the Directorate General of Shipping in the Ministry of Shipping granting cabotage relaxation permission to foreign flag ships carrying passengers to call at more than one Indian port for a period of ten years to carry Domestic Passengers during their domestic run. The Central Board of Excise Customs has also allowed Green Channel facility to all the International Cruise Passengers who come onshore for tourism purposes. Cruise passengers who wish to be cleared at Mumbai would have an option to choose either green channel or red channel. Their clearance thus would be as laid down in Baggage rules available on CBEC website http://www.cbec.gov.in. 2. Clarifications regarding customs regulations pertaining to International Cruise vessels have been issued by CBEC. Following procedure will be adopted for passengers travelling in International cruise vessel:- (i) No Customs officer will escort the ship on the domestic legs viz. Mumbai-Cochin or Goa-Mumbai. However, the jurisdictional Chief Commissioner may depute an escort officer in situations where he feels the necessity to do so. (ii) There is no exemption from customs duty on any alcohol or products consumed on board the ship in Indian customs waters. Consequently, customs duties would have to be paid if duty free alcohol is consumed on board the ship, when the ship is within Indian territorial waters. (iii) A domestic passenger sailing on domestic sector is not entitled to buy any duty free products on the ship. In case, such a passenger makes any on board purchases, he will have to pay appropriate customs duty when he disembarks at the next port. (iv) International passengers and tourists will be entitled to avail baggage allowance as per the Baggage Rules, 2016. (v) Difficulties, if any in implementation of these instructions, may be brought to the notice of the undersigned. Sd/- PR. COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS (G) MUMBAI ZONE-1, MUMBAI