Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise and Customs
Dated the 02nd April, 2013
To;
All Chief Commissioners of Customs / Customs ( Prev)
All Chief Commissioners of Customs & Central Excise.
All Director Generals of CBEC
All Commissioners of Customs / Customs ( Prev)
All Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise
Sir/ Madam,
Attention is invited to Board
Circular No 8/2007-Cus dated 22.1.2007 which lays
guidelines about examination of export consignments of perishable cargo.
- The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has
emphasized that in order to promote export of Agriculture and Processed Food
products, the Customs authorities must be sensitized to accord priority
clearance to perishable agro products cargo. Accordingly, the Board reiterates
that export consignments of perishable agricultural goods should not be examined
in a routine manner and should be examined only in cases of specific
intelligence with prior permission of concerned Assistant Commissioner/Deputy
Commissioner of Customs. Such perishable cargo which is taken up for examination
should be given Customs clearance on the same day itself. In the event there are
contraventions of Customs law, necessary legal action shall be taken but, in
this case too, it shall be ensured that the perishable cargo is dealt with in
such a manner including grant of provisional release (where permissible) so that
it is not unduly held up in ports/airports etc.
- Board has also decided, as a trade facilitation measure, to extend the
facility of 24x7 Customs clearance for export consignments of perishable
agricultural export goods at all air cargo complexes across the country.
- Any difficulties in implementation of the Circular may be immediately brought
to the notice of the Board.
Yours faithfully,
(M.V.Vasudevan)
Under Secretary to the Government of India (Cus.IV.)
F.NO. 450/7/2012- Cus IV