Customs
Customs duty, procedure and clearance.
5stories · Action needed
October 2026
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Import permit is now a must for importing insecticides for non-insecticidal use
Import permit is now a mustAction neededThe Insecticides Third Amendment Rules, 2026 wrote the import-permit requirement into the Insecticides Rules, 1971. CBIC has asked customs officers to enforce it, and it names acrylonitrile.
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Import permit now a statutory requirement for insecticides imported for non-insecticidal use, including acrylonitrile: CBIC Instruction 18/2026-Customs
Form IA, fee ₹5,000Action neededCBIC has told Customs field formations that an import permit from the Registration Committee is a statutory requirement for importing any substance in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968 for non-insecticidal use. The requirement comes from the Insecticides Third (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 597(E) of 8 July 2026): application in Form IA with a fee of ₹5,000.
September 2026
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Textile exporters must declare a flame-retardant qualifier in the shipping bill from 1 November 2026
1 November 2026Action neededCircular 42/2026-Customs makes two qualifiers mandatory for listed fabric tariff items of Chapters 52, 55 and 60 — FR001 for flame retardant fabric and FR009 for other fabric — so that FR products can be identified for the PLI Scheme for Textiles.
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Importing cosmetics, drugs or medical devices: Customs to check CDSCO documents before out-of-charge — upload them on e-SANCHIT
7 checklistsAction neededCircular 40/2026-Customs circulates seven CDSCO checklists of licences, permissions and registration certificates that the Customs officer is to verify before releasing such imports, while their integration under SWIFT 2.0 is in process.
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Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018 go live port by port from 1 September 2026; no penal action in the roll-out phase — CBIC Circular 38/2026-Customs
SCMTR: all ports by 15 OctAction neededCBIC has made the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018 operational from 1 September 2026 in a phased manner. Goa and Bombay started on 1 September; Chennai follows on 9 October, and Nhava Sheva and all remaining ports on 15 October 2026. No penal action is to be taken during the implementation phase.
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