CustomsRelief
Customs to accept one-year EPR certificates of plastic-packaging importers as one-time registration
Importers were stuck at clearance because their EPR certificates showed a one-year validity. CBIC has told officers to treat those certificates as one-time registrations that need no renewal, and to clear the consignments.
Editor9 September 2026 · 2 min read
In 30 seconds
- Importers of plastic packaging, goods in plastic packaging, plastic raw material and intermediate material must be registered on the CPCB Common EPR portal.
- Customs officers are to clear their consignments once the EPR registration certificate is verified.
- A certificate that shows a one-year validity is to be treated as a one-time registration certificate that does not need renewal.
- The basis is the amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules notified on 30 October 2023.
Before and now
The problem
Importers reported difficulty getting consignments cleared because their EPR certificates carried a one-year validity and were being treated as invalid.
Now
Officers are to accept those certificates as one-time registration certificates that need no renewal, and clear the consignments once the registration is verified.
What the document says
“such registration certificates may be accepted as valid proof of EPR registration for the purpose of import clearance, and the import consignments may be cleared accordingly”
— CBIC Instruction 15/2026-Customs
What changes, and what does not
| Point | Position now | Changed? |
|---|---|---|
| EPR registration on the CPCB portal | Mandatory for importers of plastic packaging and related goods | No change |
| Certificate showing one-year validity | Accepted as a one-time registration certificate; no renewal needed | Clarified |
| Clearance of consignments | On verification of the EPR registration certificate | No change |
What an importer should do
- Keep your EPR registration certificate ready for verification at clearance.
- If a consignment is held because the certificate shows a one-year validity, point the officer to Instruction 15/2026-Customs.
- If you import plastic packaging or goods in plastic packaging and are not registered on the CPCB portal, register first.
How it got here
- CBIC Instruction 14/2023-Customs on the same subject.
- Amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules is notified.
- CBIC Instruction 21/2025-Customs on the same subject.
- Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board writes to CBIC about importers held up at clearance.
- CBIC issues Instruction 15/2026-Customs.
Published 9 September 2026. Updated 2 October 2026. This report is for general information and is not professional advice. Read the source document before acting on it.