The 19th meeting of the Customs Consultative Group (CCG) was held on July 2-3, 2025, in Bengaluru under the chairmanship of Shri Surjit Bhujabal, Member (Customs), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance.

Since 2011, the CCG is the apex national platform for deliberation on all matters concerning customs clearance of merchandise in international trade. The Group comprises prominent representatives from industry chambers such as CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FIEO, MAIT, NASSCOM, PHDCCI, STPI, as well as associations of logistics partners including customs brokers, freight forwarders, liquid bulk cargo handlers, port operators, and banks. This year 35 Export Promotion Councils and two associations representing the air freight sector were also inducted into the CCG.

The meeting witnessed active participation from senior officials of CBIC and its field formations, along with representatives from RBI, DGFT, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Department of Posts, Ministry of Shipping, Airport Authority of India, Central Pollution Control Board, Animal Quarantine Department, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

A total of 181 agenda points were sponsored by stakeholders and deliberated upon during the two-day event.

During interaction, Shri Surjit Bhujabal emphasised the critical role played by CCG in enhancing trade facilitation and fostering an enabling environment for ease of doing business. He noted that the CCG has proven to be a model of responsive governance, bringing about both policy-level and operational changes. He cited the previous CCG meeting held in November 2024, during which 116 out of 136 agenda points were successfully addressed through policy circulars, operational instructions, and the development of new subsystems under ICEGATE, the Customs clearance gateway.

Shri Bhujabal further highlighted the alignment of CCG’s work with the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP), which synergizes multi-ministerial efforts on trade infrastructure, policies, and regulatory frameworks.

Key decisions taken during the meeting included:

• Introduction of a new policy on the discharge of bulk liquid cargo, enabling optimal utilization of limited port storage infrastructure.

• Development of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for duty drawback claims on jewellery sold at international exhibitions.

• Review of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) framework for enhanced trade facilitation.

• Strengthening collaboration between CBIC and the Department of Posts to support small exporters.

• Complete shift to the e-Bank Guarantee module to simplify regulatory compliance procedures.

• Agreement to conduct field-level studies to assess specific trade concerns and identify avenues for further facilitation.

Several sector-specific presentations were also made during the meeting. The Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council presented insights into the lab-grown diamond sector. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) detailed the Quality Control Orders (QCO) framework and offered guidance to trade stakeholders on compliance. The Department of Posts showcased the work done by the Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra, a national initiative supporting small exporters, jointly implemented by DoP and CBIC. Additionally, the Chairman of JNPT provided an update on the proposed mega-port project at Vadhvan, Maharashtra.

The 19th CCG meeting reaffirmed CBIC’s commitment to continuous stakeholder engagement, policy responsiveness, and further streamlining of India’s international trade ecosystem.

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NB/KMN

Surjit Press Release