Carriage of coastal cargo from one Indian port to another Indian port, in vessels carrying out coastal run- reg. - Customs - Public Notice No. 13 / 2024

Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue Office of the Commissioner of Customs Custom House, New Harbour Estate 628 004 / Thoothukudi 628004. Tel: 0461 2352655, 2352633 / Fax 0461 2352019 e-Office F. No . GEN/EPC/MISC/112/2024-POLI/2099308/2024 DATED: 03-07-2024 Public Notice No. 13 / 2024 Subject : Carriage of coastal cargo from one Indian port to another Indian port, in vessels carrying out coastal run- reg. ****** References have been received by this office from trade, highlighting the issue of delay in gate-in containers, carrying coastal goods, because of non- completion of clearance procedure of Bill of Coastal Goods (in short BCG ) by customs official during holidays and pre post office working hours. It has been stated that since volume of coastal cargo has been increasing in port of Tuticorin, facilitating the Coastal trade is required. 2. It has been decided that work related to BCG, so far looked after by the Customs Official posted at Export Assessment Section of this office, shall be looked after by the Customs preventive official posted at Green Gate i.e. the consignor of any coastal goods shall make an entry thereof by presenting to the Customs preventive official posted at Green Gate , a bill of coastal goods in the prescribed form and follow all procedures related to BCG, stipulated vide Circular-15/2002 dated 25.02.2002, as amended. The procedures shall be followed by all the vessels carrying both EXIM and Coastal Cargo. 3. Further, vessels carrying exclusively coastal goods, vide Notification No. 56/2016-Cus. (N.T.), read with para(a) of circular 14/2016, both dated 27-4-2016, have been exempted from the provisions of section 92, section 93, section 94, section 95, section 97 and sub-section (1) of the section 98 of the Customs Act, 1962. i.e. exemption from filing Bill of Coastal Goods (Import/Export), obtaining port clearance and filing of shipping Bills for supply of ship stores etc. However, the provisions of sections 30 and 41 of the said Act shall be applied to them i.e. coastal vessels exclusively carrying coastal goods arriving at Tuticorin Sea Port are required to file a coastal arrival manifest for the goods which are unloaded or meant to be carried forward to other destination ports; and a coastal departure manifest for the goods loaded including goods on board for other destinations as prescribed in Notification No. 57/2016-Cus(N.T), read with para (b) of circular 14/2016, both dated 27.04.2016 and are not required to file BCG. 4. Difficulty, if any, arises in implementing this Public Notice may brought to the notice of this office. VIKAS NAIR COMMISSIONER