A concentrated push towards procedural simplification defined Indian customs and foreign trade policy this past week, anchored by structural moves to accelerate clearance workflows across primary freight corridors. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) marked a decade of India's Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme by floating proposals for uniform, time-bound processing norms and cutting documentation burdens for smaller operators. Concurrently, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) intervened decisively in scrap import compliance by slashing the issuance timeline for Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates (PSICs) to two working days, while extending compliance relief to micro-exporters. For supply chain managers routing cargo through West Coast gateways like Nhava Sheva, Mundra, and inland hubs in Rajasthan and Delhi NCR, these cumulative updates signal meaningful improvements in clearance velocity—provided documentation workflows are recalibrated to the new benchmarks.
The Week in Customs
1. CBIC Proposes Uniform, Time-Bound Approvals to Accelerate AEO Accreditations
Marking ten years since the rollout of the Authorised Economic Operator framework in India, CBIC has proposed a standardised, time-bound approval process to eliminate procedural variances between different customs zones. Historically, processing times for AEO-T1, T2, and LO applicants varied widely across Commissionerates, with delays often stretching across several months due to iterative deficiency memos and physical verification cycles. Under the incoming framework, standard operating procedures (SOPs) will establish fixed operational turnaround times, backed by wider deployment of automated validation checks and risk analytics.
Parallel to this administrative standardisation, CBIC announced a drastic reduction in compliance paperwork for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Export Promotion Capital Goods / Export Marketing Initiatives ambit, compressing baseline documentary requirements from 10 separate submissions down to just 3. For shippers, this convergence of standardisation and paperwork reduction lowers the entry threshold for tier-one trusted trader benefits—including lower bank guarantee requirements, deferred duty payments, and elevated direct port delivery (DPD) clearance rates at primary seaports.
2. ICD Dhanakya (Jaipur) Notified as Authorized Point of Entry for Food Imports
In a major geographic expansion of specialized border clearance infrastructure, CBIC has notified ICD Dhanakya in Jaipur as an Authorized Point of Entry (PoE) for food imports, taking the national total of notified food PoEs to 172. Previously, consignments of agricultural produce, food additives, beverages, and bulk packaged ingredients bound for processing units across Rajasthan, northern Madhya Pradesh, and southwestern Haryana had to either undergo statutory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sampling and clearance at coastal discharge ports (primarily Nhava Sheva or Mundra) or transit to heavily congested inland container depots in Delhi NCR such as TKD or Dadri.
With ICD Dhanakya operationalized under the authorized PoE network, importers can now move sealed containers under bond directly from maritime ports to Jaipur under transshipment manifests (SMTP). On-site authorized sampling, quarantine inspection, and testing protocols will be administered directly within the Dhanakya customs perimeter. This eliminates port-side demurrage while awaiting lab NOCs, reduces long-distance inland cartage fees, and significantly cuts overall transit lead times for food processors located in the inland industrial belts of Sitapura, Vishwakarma (VKI), and Bhiwadi.
The Week in DGFT / Schemes
DGFT Compresses PSIC Timeline to 48 Hours and Eases RCMC Compliance
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade introduced two significant trade facilitation interventions this week designed to unclog regulatory bottlenecks for both heavy industry and micro-exporters.
First, DGFT revised the mandatory timeline for the issuance of Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates (PSICs) to just 2 working days. The directive targets metal scrap imports, where administrative delays by pre-shipment inspection agencies (PSIAs) at overseas load ports frequently created downstream vessel-loading bottlenecks and documentation hold-ups upon arrival at Indian gateway ports. To resolve legacy delays, DGFT also granted a one-time 7-day relaxation window for clearing accumulated backlog PSICs across international inspection stations. For recycling plants and foundry operations dependent on imported ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, this operational compress prevents costly container detention at maritime terminals and eases pre-clearance filings on ICEGATE.
Second, the DGFT issued a targeted compliance waiver eliminating the mandatory Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) requirement for small export consignments valued up to ₹3 lakh. Under prior Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) mandates, commercial exporters were required to obtain and register an RCMC from the relevant Export Promotion Council (EPC) regardless of cargo value to claim general export clearance recognition. By exempting transactions up to ₹3 lakh, early-stage manufacturers, direct-to-consumer artisanal brands, and occasional MSME exporters can ship commercial-scale trial orders or urgent replacement components through courier terminals and sea ports without upfront membership subscription expenses and administrative lead times.
Ports & Freight
Kandla Expands Logistics Footprint with CFS Approval and Coastal Connectivity
Operational momentum in Gujarat’s maritime cluster saw meaningful developments this week, led by infrastructure and liner network additions centered at Deendayal Port (Kandla). Accuracy Shipping received CBIC approval for a ₹25 crore Container Freight Station (CFS) facility at Kandla, adding vital buffer storage, destuffing capacity, and customs-bonded warehousing to handle growing general and breakbulk container volumes flowing through the port.
Simultaneously, domestic shipping connectivity received a boost with the announcement of a new weekly container feeder service linking Kandla directly to V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Thoothukudi). This direct coastal rotation offers domestic manufacturers a viable sea-route alternative to bypass saturated road freight corridors along the western and southern peninsulas. Shippers moving heavy commodities—such as salt, industrial chemicals, timber, and ceramic tiles—between the industrial centers of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu can expect reduced per-ton freight outlays and insulated transit schedules against highway toll and state border congestion.
Trade Policy / FTA Watch
On the bilateral front, high-level confirmations surfaced this week indicating that the long-deliberated India-New Zealand trade framework is moving toward active implementation. Statements from Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal outlined timelines for operationalizing tariff relief and specialized customs access protocols between the two economies. Exporters of horticulture, textiles, and engineering machinery should begin reviewing their bill of materials against the draft rules-of-origin framework to prepare preferential certificates of origin once the operational notification is gazetted.
Meanwhile, global operating friction continues to mount on long-haul routes. European inland waterway transport faces cost escalation as falling water levels on the Rhine River restrict barge draft depth, forcing chemical and industrial shippers into costlier road and rail alternatives. In global trade compliance, broader secondary sanctions enforcement signals from the United States regarding Iranian logistics touchpoints and Russian energy supply routes underline the urgent need for Indian importers and freight forwarders to rigorously review end-user statements, vessel ownership registries, and intermediate banking channels to avoid secondary compliance disruptions.
WCL's Take
At World Cargo Logistics, our ground teams across Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Kandla, and inland dry ports in Jaipur and Delhi NCR are actively recalibrating workflows around these developments. For our Rajasthan-based clients, our team at ICD Dhanakya is already coordinating with local food safety authorities and customs appraisers to route inbound food-grade consignments directly under transshipment, bypassing coastal CFS handoffs. In Kandla and Mundra, we are advising metal recycling clients to enforce the newly mandated 2-day PSIC delivery window on overseas inspection agencies prior to vessel arrival to prevent ICEGATE document validation errors. For eligible MSME clients, our compliance division is auditing pending export rosters to immediately apply the ₹3 lakh RCMC exemption and preparing eligible T1 entities for fast-track AEO-T2 applications under the proposed uniform processing norms.
What to Watch Next Week
- CBIC Circular on Time-Bound AEO Norms: Specific operational timelines for Commissionerate verifications and national SOPs are expected to be formally gazetted.
- Dhanakya FSSAI Operational Guidelines: Implementation of local testing labs, designated food safety officers, and sampling queues at ICD Dhanakya, Jaipur.
- Coastal Feeder Schedule: Maiden sailing dates, cut-offs, and booking windows for the Kandla–Thoothukudi weekly coastal container service.
- India-New Zealand Notification: Formal publication of the tariff concessions schedule and preferential origin procedures by the DGFT.
For a shipment-specific consultation on customs clearance, AEO onboarding, or multimodal routing, reach out to our trade operations team via WhatsApp at +91 91602 11111 or email webq@wclogistic.in.