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Circular No. 24/2022-Customs
CBIC-510450/5/2021-SINGLE WINDOW SECTION CBEC -Part (1)
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
(Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs)
North Block, New Delhi
Dated, 28
th
November, 2022
To,
Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioner of Customs/Customs (Preventive), Principal
Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioner of Customs & Central Tax
Principal Director Generals/Director Generals under CBIC
Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive)
Sir/Madam
Subject: - Improvements in SWIFT: Integration of ICEGATE with AQCS -ICS (Animal
Quarantine and Certification Services-Import Clearance System) effective 01.12.2022 – reg.
Kind reference is invited to Board’s Circulars 09/2015-Cus dated 31.03.2015, 03/2016-
Cus dated 03.02.2016 and 10/2016-Cus dated 15.03.2016, regarding the Indian Customs' Single
Window. In brief, vide the above referred Circulars -
(a) six Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) were brought on board the Single Window
Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT). This platform enabled importers to lodge their clearance
documents online through ICEGATE at a single point, facilitated risk- based inspection and an
Online NoC from the PGAs could be obtained, without the trader having to approach these
agencies.
(b) these agencies were Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Plant Quarantine
(PQ), Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS), Central Drugs Standards Control
Organization (CDSCO), Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and a lab module for the Textile
Committee (TC) to provide its NOC for live consignments.
2. Under SWIFT, the FSSAI and PQ are connected through online message exchange with
their own systems, while the remaining four PGAs use ICES for providing online NoC. Further,
vide Circular No. 01/2017-Cus dated 04.01.2017, the facility for automatic routing of Bills of Entry
(BOEs) of WCCB for NoC in exports in SWIFT was introduced.
3. Further, the facility of eSANCHIT, was enabled for the importers/exporters to upload all
Licenses, Permits , Controls and Orders( LPCOs) issued by the PGAs and other documents on
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ICEGATE, via Circular no. 40/2017-Cus dated 13.10.2017 and extended to exports across the
country, vide Circular No 43/2018-Cus dated 08.11.2018. The facility of eSANCHIT was
leveraged for uploading of authorisations and LPCOs issued by PGAs in PDF format, thus
dispensing with the requirement of importers and exporters to separately upload these
documents, in phases vide Circular nos. 44/2018-Cus dated 13.11.2018, 13/2019-Cus dated
03.06.2019, 19/2019-Cus dated 16.07.2019, 03/2020-Cus dated 15.01.2020, 11/2020-cus dated
10.02.2020 and 24/2020-Cus dated 14.05.2020.
4. To enhance transparency and better informed compliance, the Compliance Information
Portal (https://cip.icegate.gov.in/CIP/#/home) was launched on 04.08.2021 on a single platform
to provide all necessary information related to Customs laws, procedures along with applicable
duties and taxes on each Customs Tariff Item, as also the information about necessary
permissions to be obtained from any PGA for import or export of goods.
5.1 To further enhance SWIFT, the Digital Import Clearance System of AQCS-ICS has been
developed by AQCS for purposes of improved functioning. This would enable migrating from
Online NoC through ICES to online message exchange mode, similar to that of FSSAI and PQMS.
The AQCS-ICS shall be introduced from 01.12.2022. For this, the following changes will be made
in the Customs System:
5.2 Integrated Declaration:
To enhance the ambit of paperless processing and to facilitate risk-based inspection,
changes in the Integrated Declaration as follows:
a. The importer must upload the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country
with Document Code 853AQ1 for the concerned Customs Tariff Items ( CTIs) listed in
Annexure A (Sl.No 1) of this Circular.
b. The importer must upload the Laboratory reports/certificate of analysis (COA) with
Document Code 001AQ1, for the concerned CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl.No 2) of this
circular.
c. The Importer must quote the IRN generated in eSanchit pertaining to Sanitary Import
Permit with document Code 911DF1, issued and uploaded by AQCS, for the concerned
CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl.No 3) of this Circular to obtain the NoC.
d. The importer must give the following declaration under Statement Code AQ002 at item
level for the CTIs listed in Annexure B of this Circular: “I certify that the invoice issued by
Authorised officer of Manufacturer in the exporting country contains a declaration that the
product has undergone the irreversible process of tanning in terms of O.M vide F.No. L-
110110/17/2017-Trade-Part(1) (E-15243) dated 17.12.2021.”
5.3 Risk-based Inspection:
Based on the above additional data being received through integrated declaration, risk-
based selectivity criteria shall be introduced in stages for CTIs requiring NoC from AQCS along
with the integration of AQCS-ICS with ICEGATE.
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5.4 Post Filing requirements for NoC by AQCS:
All documents required to be submitted to AQCS to obtain NoC, will normally
be uploaded during Integrated Declaration. Under circumstances where additional documents are
required by AQCS from the importer post-filing, the importer may submit the same by logging in
via ICEGATE. Till the time that the integration of AQCS-ICS with ICEGATE is complete, the
importer may log in to the AQCS-ICS portal to submit the additional documents.
5.5 Electronic transmission of NoC to Customs:
The Online NoC will be automatically transmitted to ICEGATE, and importers will also
have complete visibility as soon as it is issued (or rejected) by PGA officers. Any further queries
by PGA officers as well as real time tracking of the status of processing of applications can be
accessed through ICEGATE portal and as well as the AQCS-ICS Portal.
6. With the introduction of AQCS-ICS, there is no change in the role or functioning of
Customs officers. The Customs officers would be able to access the details of the BOEs referred
by ICES to AQCS-ICS. The electronically received Release Order (RO) regarding the BOEs
referred to AQCS-ICS shall be accepted by the Customs. The documents referred before the
implementation of this Circular will continue to be processed in ICES.
7. Suitable Public Notices may please be issued to guide the trade/industry.
8. Any difficulties in this regard may be brought to the notice of the Board at the earliest.
Hindi version follows.
Yours faithfully,
(Ananth R)
Deputy Secretary (Customs)
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Annexure A
Sl.No. Mandatory
Document
CTIs
1. Veterinary
Health Certificate
(853AQ1)
0101, 0102, 0103, 0104, 0105, 0106 (excluding 01061200), 0203, 0204, 0205,
0206 (excluding 02061000, 02062100, 02062200, 02062900, 02063000),
0207, 02081000, 02089090, 0210 (excluding 02102000, 02109200,
02109100, 02109300), 0401, 0402, 0403, 0404, 0405, 0406, 0407, 0408,
0502, 0504 (excluding 05040010, 05040031, 05040041, 05040051), 0505
(excluding 05051010, 05059021, 05059031, 05059091), 0506 (excluding
05061011, 05061021, 05061031, 05061041), 0507 (excluding 05071020,
05071010), 0510 (excluding 05100091, 05109011, 05109091), 05111000,
05119929, 05119991, 05119999, 1505, 1601, 1602 (excluding 16025000),
16030010, 16030090, 1901, 19021100, 19021900, 21039090, 21041010,
21041090, 21042000, 2105, 21061000, 21069099, 2301, 2309 (excluding
23099031, 23099032), 3001 (excluding 30019010, 30019091), 30024910,
30024990, 30025900, 30029020, 30029090, 30039031, 30039090,
30069300, 3101, 3501, 3502, 3503 (excluding 35030010), 35040099, 4101,
4102, 4103, 4301, 4302 (excluding 43021940), 5101, 5102, 5103, 6701,
94044010, 94044020, 94044030, 94044040, 94049000, 95069910, 9601
(excluding 96011000, 96019090), 96020030, 98051000
2. Laboratory Reports
/ Certificate of
Analysis (COA)
(001AQ1)
0101, 0102, 0103, 0104, 0105, 0106 (excluding 01061200), 0203, 0204, 0205,
0206 (excluding 02061000, 02062100, 02062200, 02062900, 02063000),
0207, 02081000, 02089090, 0210 (excluding 02102000, 02109100), 0401,
0402, 0403, 0404, 0405, 0406, 0407, 0408, 0502, 0504 (excluding 05040010,
05040031, 05040041, 05040051), 0505 (excluding 05051010, 05059021,
05059031, 05059091), 0506 (05061011, 05061021, 05061031, 05061041,
0507 (excluding 05071010, 05071020), 0510 (excluding 05100091,
05109011, 05109091), 05111000, 05119929, 05119991, 05119999, 1505,
1601, 1602 (excluding 16025000), 16030010, 16030090, 1901, 19021100,
19021900, 21039090, 21041010, 21041090, 21042000, 2105, 21061000,
21069099, 2301, 2309 (excluding 23099031, 23099032), 3001( excluding
30019010, 30019091), 30024910, 30024990, 30025900, 30029020,
30029090, 30039031, 30039090, 30069300, 3101, 3501, 3502, 3503
(excluding 35030010), 35040099, 5101, 5102, 5103, 6701, 94044010,
94044020, 94044030, 94044040, 94049000, 95069910, 9601 (excluding
96011000, 96019090), 96020030, 98051000
3. SIP (911DF1) 0105 (Optional), 0203, 0204, 0205, 0207, 02081000, 02089090, 0210
(excluding 02102000, 02109100, 02109200, 02109300), 0302, 0303
(excluding 03039210), 0304, 0305, 0306, 0307, 0308, 0309, 0401, 0402,
0403, 0404, 0405, 0408, 0502, 0504 (excluding 05040010, 05040031,
05040041, 05040051), 05040039 (optional), 0505 (excluding 05051010,
05059021, 05059031, 05059091), 0506 (excluding 05061011, 05061021,
05061031, 05061041, 05069011, 05069091), 0507 (excluding 05071010,
05071020), 0510 (excluding 05100091), 05119140, 1601, 1602 (excluding
16025000), 1603, 1604, 1605, 1901 (excluding 19012000), 19021100,
19021900, 2105 , 2301 (excluding 23011010, 23011090), 2309 (excluding
23091000, 23099031, 23099032), 30029020, 30039031, 94044010,
94044020, 94044030, 94044040, 94049000, 95069910, 98051000
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Annexure B
Leather Products under Chapter 41 (between 4104 to 4115) not to be routed to AQCS-ICS
for NoC
Sl. No. HS Code Description of item
1 41041100 In the wet state (including wet-6/ue}: Full gains, unsplit; grain splits
2 41041900 Other
3 41051000 In the wet state (including wet-blue)
4 41062100 In the wet state (including wet-blue)
5 41063100 In the wet state (including wet-blue)
6 41064000 Of reptiles
7 41069100 In the wet state (including wet-blue)
8 41071900 Other
9 41079900 Other
10 41133000 Of reptiles
11 41139000 Other
12 41141000 Chamois (including combination chamois) leather
13 41142010 Patent leather and patent laminated leather
14 41142020 Metallised leather
15 41151000
Composition leather with a basis of leather kg. 10% -4115 20 -or
leatherfiber, in slabs, sheets or strip, whether or not in rolls
16 41152010 Cuttings of leather
17 41152090 Other
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