Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise & Customs
Circular No. 37/2017-Customs
Room No. 227B North Block, New Delhi. Dated the 20th September, 2017
To
All Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners of
Customs/Customs (Preventive) All Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief
Commissioners of Customs & Central Excise All Principal
Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive) All Principal
Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs & Central Excise
Subject: Implementing Electronic Sealing for containers by exporters under
self-sealing procedure prescribed by Circular 26/2017-Cus dated 1st July, 2017
and Circular 36/2017 dated 28th August, 2017. - reg
Sir/ Madam,
Representations have been received from several associations seeking
information on the availability of RFID Tamper Proof One-time-bolt container
seals. Field formations have also sought guidance of the Board regarding the
identity of vendors, availability of the electronic seals, web-based application
and provisioning of readers at various ports / ICDs.
2. Several potential vendors have communicated with the Board & field
formations regarding availability of seals and their intention to provide reader
devices (for reading the seals) at select or all ports/ICDs.
3. In order to ensure that electronic seals deployed are of a reliable
quality, the Board has adopted international standards laid down under ISO
17712:2013 for high security seals and prescribed that vendors intending to
offer RFID seals should furnish certifications required under the ISO standard
(para 3 of
circular No. 36/2017 dated 28th Aug, 2017 refers).
3.1 To ensure uniformity in acceptance of the certificates submitted by
vendors, required under ISO 17712:2013, it has been decided that all vendors
proposing to offer RFID Tamper Proof One-Time-Bolt Container Seals to exporters
for self-sealing, must submit self-attested certificates from seal manufacturers
to the Director (Customs), CBEC, North Block, New Delhi before commencing sales.
Where the certification is found to comply with the requirements of the ISO
standard, the names of such vendors shall be put up on the Board's website
(www.cbec.gov.in) for ease of reference of the trade and field formations, as
soon as they are received.
3.2 The vendors shall also produce a contract or communication between the
vendor and manufacturer, to serve as a link document and undertake that the
seals for which ISO certifications are submitted are the same seals pressed into
service.
3.3 Any time a vendor changes his manufacturer-supplier, he shall provide the
documentation referred in para 3 of circular 36/2017-Customs to the CBEC, before
offering the seals for sale.
3.4 Clarifications have also been sought regarding the type/specification of
the web-hosted application. While each vendor may develop and design their own
web-enabled application, the data elements prescribed under para 4 (a) of
circular 36/2017-Customs have to be incorporated. For the purposes of
consistency in process of communication with the customs stations and the RMD,
each vendor shall provide information as specified in para 4 (b) of circular
36/2017-Customs to the department by email in excel format or any other format
that may be specified by any field formation or RMD. This would permit ease of
consolidation of multiple feeds at the customs station and data integration. All
field formations are advised to communicate the designation based email
addresses to the vendors, once the list is placed on the website as mentioned at
para 3.1 above.
3.5 As a measure of data integrity and security of sealing, vendors are also
required to ensure that the Tag Identification (TID) number is captured in their
data base and the IEC code of the exporter is linked to the same at the time of
sale of the seals. Upon reading at the Port / ICD, the software application
shall ensure that the seal's identity is checked with its TID. Beyond this
prescribed minimum feature, vendors will remain free to build upon any other
features of RFID system for enhancing security / functionalities
4. For the ease of reference of the exporters, vendors are advised to
publicise on their website, name of each port / ICD where they have provided
readers. Custodians and Customs brokers are also advised to proactively engage
with vendors regarding availability of reading facilities at container terminals
and ICDs so that there is no dislocation to logistics operations.
5. Considering the difficulties expressed by trade associations in locating
vendors of RFID seals, the Board has decided that the date for mandatory
self-sealing and use of RFID container seals is deferred to 1st November, 2017.
The existing practice may continue till such time. It is also provided that
exporters are free to voluntarily adopt the new self-sealing procedure based
upon RFID sealing, if readers are in place at the customs station of export from
1st Oct, 2017.
6. Apprehensions have been expressed by some associations and trade bodies
regarding the availability of reading facilities in hinterland ICDs. In view
thereof, custodians of ICDs are requested to facilitate the process of receiving
handheld readers or installation of fixed readers at the ICDs and to approach
the Board in case readers are not made available by vendors at any ICD by 10th
October, 2017.
7. Difficulties, if any, may be brought to the notice of the Board.
8. Hindi version follows.
Yours faithfully, (Zubair Riaz) Director (Customs) [F.
No.450/08/2015-Cus.IV]
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