Second Verification of First Time Importers in Mumbai Zone not Required

[Mumbai Customs Public Notice No. 04 dated 6^th February 2015]

Sub: First time import of goods- Verification of documents.

Attention of trade is invited to Public Notice No. 21/2010 dated 21.05.2010 and 10/2014 dated 31.07.2014, on the above subject.

2. Trade has represented in the Open House Meeting held on 04.12.2014 that at present, verification of documents for ‘first time importers’ is being independently done at all the three zones of Mumbai Customs, and requested that if an Importer/CHA produces a copy of the Bill of Entry of an importer which is already assessed at any one zone of Mumbai Customs, then at any other zone where the import is taking place for the first time (i.e. port or ACC as the case may be), the verification procedure should not be done again. The Chief Commissioners of Customs, Mumbai Zone-I, II & III have agreed to the above proposal during the deliberations of the Open House Meeting, of accepting the verification procedure at one Zone of Mumbai Customs in the remaining two Zones, subject to random verification wherever necessary.

3. Accordingly, as a facilitation measure for the trade, the names of the ‘first time importers’, whose antecedents have been verified at ACC, Mumbai, shall be updated on monthly basis on the official website of Air Cargo Complex, Mumbai, Zone-III. Similar action is proposed to be taken by the other two zones of Mumbai Customs. If an Importer is registered in Zone-I and/or Zone-II of Mumbai Customs then the importer or Customs Broker can approach the concerned assessing group with a copy of assessed B/E. The assessing group will verify the details of said importer from the website of concerned zone and then fresh verification will not be insisted at ACC, Mumbai.

4. The requirements of all other documents and procedures mentioned in the Public Notice No. 21/2010 dated 21.05.2010 and 10/2014 dated 31.07.2014 remain unchanged.

F.No.S/3-Misc- PRO-73/2014 ACC (I)