Organisation : Chennai Customs
Facility Name : Cargo Transshipment Procedure
Applicable State : Tamil Nadu
Website : https://chennaicustoms.gov.in/export-procedure/
How To Apply For Transshipment of Cargo in Chennai?
A number of ports, airports, Inland Container Depots (ICD), Container Freight Stations (CFS) having Customs clearance facilities have been developed in the country to reduce congestion at the gateway ports/airports and to allow importers and exporters to take Customs clearance of imported and export goods at their door steps. The objectives of bringing the Customs facility to door step of importing community and decongesting the gateway ports/ airports requires the movement of imported cargo or export cargo between a port/airport and other ports/airports, ICDs/CFSs in India or a port/airport abroad.
Related / Similar Facility : Chennai Customs Passenger Clearance Procedure
Transshipment of Cargo By Air
1.A detailed procedure has been prescribed for transshipment by air of
(i) imported cargo between two airports in India,
(ii) international transshipped cargo (Foreign to Foreign), and
(iii) export of cargo tendered at one Customs airport for export from another Customs airport. The movement of cargo between the gateway airport and inland airport is allowed in Indian Airlines flights and also in private sector airlines flights.
2. Transshipment of cargo from a gateway airport to an inland airport:
(i) On arrival of flight, the transshipment cargo should be segregated in custodian’s premises.
(ii) For transshipment of cargo, the carrier/ console agent is required to file an application for transshipment of cargo, consigned to another airport as indicated in HAWB. Cargo Transfer Manifest (CTM) prepared by the carrier/consol agent, as the case may be, shall itself be treated as application for transshipment. Separate CTMs may be prepared destination-wise. Such transshipment should be approved by the Proper Officer.
(iii) The cargo mentioned in the CTM needs to be escorted by the Preventive Officer from the warehouse of the custodian to the warehouse of receiving airlines which acknowledges the same. The concerned airlines/custodian warehouse should have double locking arrangement, one key of which will be with the airlines/custodian and the other with Customs, for storage of transshipment cargo. No physical examination needs to be conducted, except on specific intelligence, for allowing transshipment and only marks and numbers of cargo need to be verified.
(iv) The receiving airlines should prepare its cargo manifest and transshipment be allowed under Customs supervision. The value of transshipped cargo should be debited from the Transshipment Bond.
(v) Customs at destination airport will acknowledge the receipt of the cargo and send back the acknowledgement manifest through the carrier. The carrier should produce such acknowledgement at the originating airport within 10 days of transshipment. On the basis of such acknowledgement the Transshipment Bond would be re-credited.
(vi) The usual procedure for Customs clearance of cargo shall be adopted at the destination airport.
3.International transshipped cargo (Foreign to Foreign):
(i) On the arrival of flight, the transshipment cargo meant for destination abroad should be segregated in the Custodian’s premises.
(ii) The carrier is required to file application for transshipment of cargo and CTM prepared by the airlines shall be treated as application for transshipment. Such transshipment should be approved by the Proper Officer.
(iii) Cargo mentioned in CTM need to be escorted by the Preventive Officer from the warehouse of custodian to the export terminal. No physical examination needs to be conducted, except on specific intelligence, and only marks and numbers of cargo need to be verified. Such cargo may be exported with other export cargo.
Export of cargo tendered at one Customs airport for export from another Customs airport:
(i) Shipping Bill shall be filed at the originating Customs station and “Let Export Order” should be given by the Customs at the same station. Transshipment Permit (TP) should be prepared by the airlines/ carrier and approved by the proper officer. TP should be sent alongwith the cargo and Transshipment Bond shall be debited for the value of cargo.
(ii) On arrival at the gateway airport, the cargo should be taken to the warehouse of the domestic airlines/custodian in a clearly identified area. The warehouse should have double locking arrangement, one key of which will be with the airlines/custodian and the other with Customs. The Customs officers in charge of warehouse should verify the details of the packages with the TP, Airway Bill, etc. The domestic airlines may prepare the CTM airlines-wise which shall be certified by the Export Freight Officer (EFO).
(iii) Cargo should be shifted to the transshipment warehouse in the export terminal of custodian and acknowledgement obtained. No examination of such cargo should normally be done at gateway airport, except on credible intelligence or information.
(iv) When the aircraft is ready for loading, the airlines should seek permission from the EFO for loading. The load plan prepared by the airlines should be signed by the Airlines, EFO and the custodian.
(v) Cargo should be loaded in the aircraft under Customs supervision.
(vi) Copy of manifest signed by the EFO and Airway Bill along with copy of Shipping Bill should be sent by the airlines to the originating station within 30 days of transshipment. Transshipment Bond shall be re-credited at originating airport.
(vii) In case the transshipment is by bonded truck, the marks and numbers of the packages shall be verified with the details in the transshipment permission and the bonded truck sealed with bottle seal in the presence of the Preventive Officer.
(viii) If transshipment of cargo is also desired at some intermediate Customs airport, carrier/ airlines should give advance intimation to intermediary airport. Customs at intermediary airport would supervise the movement of cargo and endorse the same on Transshipment Permit. The concerned airlines/custodian warehouse should have double locking arrangement, one key of which will be with the Airlines / custodian and the other with Customs, for storage of transhipment cargo. The loading of such cargo again would be under the supervision of Customs Officer.
Bonded Trucking Facility
With a view to supplement the existing facility and provide adequate flexibility to the trade in the choice of modes of transport, movement of imported cargo in containers / trucks has been allowed between airports/ACCs and airports/ACCs/CFSs/ICDs as per the following procedure:
(i) On the basis of the request made by the trade and in terms of Section 45(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 the Commissioner of Customs will appoint the airlines or their duly approved agents or the custodians of gateway airport/ACCs or the custodians of destination ICDs/CFSs/airports/ACCs as the custodian of all cargoes to be transshipped under bonded cargo trucking facility from airport/ACCs to ICDs/CFSs/airports/ACCs in hinterland by road. The permit will be valid for one year from the date of issue initially and shall be renewed every three years subsequently.
(ii) Transshipment of imported cargo is governed by the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Customs Act, 1962 and the Goods Imported (Conditions of Transshipment) Regulations, 1995.
(iii) The imported cargo should be manifested for transshipment. In respect of consol cargo where the Master Airway Bill does not show the final destination, the airlines filing transshipment application should keep a copy of both Master Airway Bill and House Airway Bill to indicate that the particular consignment sought for transshipment is for an inland Customs airport/ICD/CFS/ACC.
(iv) For proper accountal of cargo the custodian should execute a suitable running bond with a bank guarantee for an amount approved by Commissioner of Customs concerned. The amount will be debited from this bond when the transshipment cargo is taken by the custodian and it will be credited when the proof of handing over of the cargo to Customs at final destination is produced. The custodian will be responsible for any shortage or pilferage of the cargo.
(v) The custodian will submit a list of trucks together will registration numbers to be used for movement of each transshipment cargo. The trucks so deployed for transport should be specially secured to avoid pilferage of cargo and have provision of affixing of Customs “Bottle Seals”.