Delayed IGM

The following Public Notice was issued by the Commissioner of Customs (Import) Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House on 14th January 2010.

[Customs Public Notice No. 02 date 14th January 2010]

Sub: Delayed, incomplete or incorrect filing of Import Manifest of Import Report – Amendment of Import General Manifest.

Attention of Shipping Lines, Shipping Agents, Consol Agents, Carriers, Multi Modal Operators, Break Bulk Carriers / Agents, Consolidators, Freight Forwarders, Importers, CHAs and members of trade is invited to Public Notices No. 14/2008 dated 04.02.2008, No. 69/2008 dated 26.09.2008 and No.67/2009 dated 14.09.2009 regarding amendment / supplementation of Import General Manifest (IGM).

2. It has come to the notice that some Shipping Lines, CHAs, Importers and Members of the Trade submit applications for amendment of Consignee’s Name and Address in the IGM after the Bill of Entry has been filed by the first named Consignee, who has neither cancelled the Bill of Entry nor has given NOC for cancellation of the Bill of Entry filed by him for the subsequent Consignee to file Bill of Entry in his place. The EDI System cannot / does not accept a fresh BE (to be filed by the second Consignee) unless the BE filed by the first consignee has been cancelled. The very fact that the first consignee, who has filed the Bill of Entry, has not given the NOC and the Shipper wants to amend the Consignee’s name in the IGM originally filed, indicates that there is some dispute regarding ownership / transfer of ownership of the goods between the two and this dispute has nothing to do with Customs. As a matter of principle, Customs will not enter into / interfere nor will it act as an adjudicator or arbitrator in a dispute unconnected with Customs.

3. It is, therefore, clarified that no request for amendment of ‘consignee’s name’ in the IGM shall be entertained if the consignee first named has already filed the BE and has neither withdrawn the same nor has given NOC for the amendment. However, if the goods are not cleared within the period stipulated in the Customs Act, 1962, they will be disposed off as per law.

F.No.S/ 3 – GEN – 696/2007 Import Noting