India eases customs procedures for Bangladesh to import goods via inland waterways

India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has further eased customs procedures for Bangladesh to import goods through inland waterways.

Containers once cleared at a customs facility in India will be sealed with Radio frequency identification (RFID) seals to ensure that they are not tampered with when they are shifted to a vessel for shipment through waterways, according to a circular from the CBIC.

The indirect tax authority said that such exports will be cleared at an inland container depot for transport by road or rail to the gateway port in Kolkata or Haldia and further to Bangladesh utilising the inland waterways. Such movement of goods will be made fool-proof by an RFID enabled e-seal.

"CBIC said exporters will have to first bring goods to the container depot and file the necessary documents, following which the containers will be sealed with a tamper proof RFID e-seal, which will capture all details about the shipment and the exporter. The container will then be transported to the gateway port, where customs officials will verify the RFID e-seals to check for tampering," reads livemint.

"In case the RFID reader indicates the e-seal as tampered, such a container shall be subject to 100% examination. During the examination, if the goods are found in order, the consignment shall be allowed for further onward movement. However, if the goods are not found as per the details presented in the shipping bill, the matter shall be brought to the notice of the deputy commissioner/assistant commissioner of the inland container depot from where the goods had been cleared for export," CBIC said in its circular.

In case of tampering, the official will take action as per the Customs Act, the circular reads.