CBIC Customs Updates -July 2026

04-08-2026 H N A Team

 

              

Customs-Tariff

Notifications

Notification No. and Date of issue

 

Subject

24/2026-Customs(T) Dated 03-July-2026

Seeks to exempt animals imported for shows, exhibitions, contests, competitions, demonstrations, entertainment, public functions or as guide dogs under the India-UK CETA from the whole of Basic Customs Duty and Integrated Tax, subject to re-export conditions.

 

Summary:
The Ministry of Finance has issued Notification No. 24/2026-Customs under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962. The notification fully exempts the goods specified in Schedule I (animals imported for participation in shows, exhibitions, contests, competitions, demonstrations, entertainment, exercise of public functions such as police or sniffer dogs, or guide dogs under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the UK and India) from the whole of the duty of customs under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and from the whole of the integrated tax under Section 3(7) of the said Act, subject to re-export within six months (extendable in specified cases) and other conditions including bond, bank guarantee/cash deposit, declaration, and identification requirements, in the public interest. Read more

25/2026-Customs(T) Dated 08-July-2026

Seeks to amend Notification No. 45/2025-Customs to exempt specified goods used in the manufacture of display assemblies for automotive, medical or industrial applications from Basic Customs Duty.

 

Summary:
The Ministry of Finance has issued Notification No. 25/2026-Customs under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 and sub-section (12) of Section 3 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. The amendment inserts a new S. No. 296A in Table I of Notification No. 45/2025-Customs, prescribing a Basic Customs Duty (BCD) rate of Nil for goods falling under Tariff Items 3919 90 90 or 8529 90 90 (namely Cell, Flexible Printed Circuit Assembly, Backlight Unit, Frame and Anisotropic Conductive Film) for use in the manufacture of display assemblies falling under heading 8524 for automotive, medical or industrial applications (excluding certain specified display assemblies), subject to Condition No. 3 and valid up to 31st March, 2029. This amendment grants a complete exemption from BCD on the specified goods, in the public interest. Read more

26/2026-Customs(T) Dated 08-July-2026

Seeks to amend Notification No. 57/2017-Customs to exempt specified goods used in the manufacture of Inductor Coil Module for wireless charging in cellular mobile phones from Basic Customs Duty.

 

Summary:
The Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) has issued Notification No. 26/2026-Customs, dated 8 July 2026, under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, amending Notification No. 57/2017-Customs (dated 30 June 2017). The amendment inserts a new Serial No. 6K in the Table to the principal notification, granting a Nil rate of Basic Customs Duty on specified goods falling under tariff items 3919 90 90, 8505 11 90 or 8544 11 10, when used in the manufacture of Inductor Coil Modules for wireless charging in cellular mobile phones. The exemption is conditional and valid until 31 March 2029. Read more

27/2026-Customs(T) Dated 08-July-2026

Seeks to amend Notification No. 25/2002-Customs to substitute and expand the list of specified machinery and equipment for use in the manufacture of Lithium Ion Cell.

 

Summary:
The Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) has issued Notification No. 27/2026-Customs, dated 8 July 2026, under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, amending Notification No. 25/2002-Customs (dated 1 March 2002). The amendment substitutes earlier Serial Nos. 69 and 69A with a single, consolidated Serial No. 69 containing an expanded list of 85 specific categories of machinery and equipment eligible for Nil Basic Customs Duty when used in the manufacture of Lithium-Ion Cells. This measure is aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing of advanced chemistry cells and battery systems by reducing the cost of importing specialized capital goods. Read more

Customs(T) Dated 28-

July-2026

 

Seeks to amend Notification No. 25/2002-Customs to substitute and expand the list of specified machinery and equipment for use in the manufacture of Lithium Ion Cell.

 

Summary:

The Ministry of Finance has issued a Corrigendum dated 28 July 2026 to Notification No. 28/2026-Customs dated 10 July 2026. The corrigendum rectifies a typographical error in the English version of the notification by correcting the Gazette reference number from "G.S.R. 615(E)" to "G.S.R. 613(E)". No other changes have been made to the notification. Read more

 

28/2026-Customs(T) Dated 10-July-2026

Seeks to amend Notification No. 8/2016-Customs to empower the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to extend the prescribed two-year period in appropriate cases.

 

Summary:

The Ministry of Finance has issued Notification No. 28/2026-Customs under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, amending Notification No. 8/2016-Customs. The amendment inserts an additional proviso in Condition (6), authorising the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to extend the prescribed two-year period, on sufficient cause being shown, by such further period as it may deem appropriate in a particular case. The notification also makes a consequential drafting amendment by substituting the expression "Provided further that" with "Provided also that" in the subsequent proviso. Read more

29/2026-Customs(T) Dated 14-July-2026

Seeks to give effect to the first tranche of tariff concessions under India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

 

Summary:

The Ministry of Finance has issued Notification No. 29/2026-Customs under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, exempting specified goods imported from the United Kingdom from so much of the Basic Customs Duty (BCD), Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC), and Health Cess as is in excess of the rates specified in the notification. The notification prescribes preferential tariff rates for eligible goods under Table I, Table II, and Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) under Table III, subject to compliance with the applicable Rules of Origin under the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 (CAROTAR). The exemption is available only where the importer establishes that the goods are of UK origin in accordance with the prescribed origin requirements. Read more

Customs

Circulars

Circulars No. and Date of issue

 

Subject

Circular No. 29/2026
Dated 01-July-2026

Seeks to extend the transitional provisions under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations (SCMTR), 2018 up to 31st August, 2026.

 

Summary:
The CBIC has issued Circular No. 29/2026-Customs dated 01 July 2026 notifying the pan-India operationalization of all SCMTR 2018 electronic message modules (except Import Transhipment) with effect from 01 July 2026. To facilitate a smooth transition for stakeholders—including shipping lines, agents, transhippers, and terminal operators—the Board has extended the transitional period up to 31 August 2026 and clarified that no penal action shall be initiated for technical or procedural difficulties faced during online filing up to that date. Read more

Circular No. 30/2026
Dated 03-July-2026

Seeks to clarify the grant of drawback under Section 74 or refund under Section 27 of the Customs Act, 1962 where import duty was paid through Duty Credit Scrips.

 

Summary:
The CBIC has issued Circular No. 30/2026-Customs dated 03 July 2026 clarifying that where import duties were paid using Duty Credit Scrips, any admissible drawback under Section 74 or refund under Section 27 of the Customs Act, 1962 must be granted through re-credit and not in cash. For duties paid via RoDTEP or RoSCTL scrips, the amount will be re-credited into the IEC holder’s electronic credit ledger for generating new e-scrips, whereas for legacy schemes like MEIS or SEIS where direct re-credit is not feasible, Customs authorities will issue a re-credit certificate for revalidation through DGFT. Read more

 

 

Circular No. 31/2026
Dated 04-July-2026

Seeks to prescribe a standard format of Deficiency Memo for duty drawback claims under Section 74 of the Customs Act, 1962.

 

Summary:

The CBIC has issued Circular No. 31/2026-Customs dated 04 July 2026 prescribing a standard format of Deficiency Memo for processing of duty drawback claims under Section 74 of the Customs Act, 1962. Field formations have been directed to issue Deficiency Memos in the enclosed format (Annexure-I) whenever documents or information are found deficient, and the claim shall be treated as not filed if the deficiencies are not complied with within thirty days as per Rule 5(4)(b) of the Re-export of Imported Goods (Drawback of Customs Duties) Rules, 2017. Read more

Circular No. 32/2026
Dated 04-July-2026

Seeks to discontinue submission of manual documents/statements for containers imported under Notification No. 104/94-Customs.

 

Summary:

The CBIC has issued Circular No. 32/2026-Customs dated 11th July 2026 discontinuing the requirement of manual submission of documents/statements by shipping lines in respect of containers imported under Notification No. 104/94-Customs dated 16.03.1994. DG Systems will generate and publish reports on ICEGATE of containers not re-exported within the stipulated six-month period for monitoring and action. Shipping lines, NVOCCs, steamer agents or their authorised agents shall continue to execute bonds without surety, while field formations have been directed to coordinate with DG Systems and Port/Terminal operators for electronic gate system integration to eliminate manual intervention in container movement.

Read more

Circular No. 33/2026
Dated 13-July-2026

Seeks to implement self-certification of Origin Declarations under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

 

Summary:

The CBIC has issued Circular No. 33/2026-Customs dated 13th July 2026 implementing the self-certification framework for Origin Declarations under the India-UK CETA, which enters into force from 15th July 2026. Preferential tariff treatment may be claimed only after authentication of the Origin Declaration submitted by the UK exporter/producer; upon successful authentication a Unique Reference Number (URN) is generated and communicated to the exporter and the Indian importer, which must be quoted in the Bill of Entry. The Origin Declaration remains valid for twelve months, relates to a single shipment (with specified flexibility for warehoused goods), and preferential claims are also permitted for goods in transit or under customs control as on 15th July 2026, subject to the prescribed conditions. Read more

Circular No. 34/2026
Dated 30-July-2026

Seeks to automate filing and processing of refund applications for Courier imports through the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS).

 

Summary:

The CBIC has issued Circular No. 34/2026-Customs dated 30th July 2026 introducing an electronic Refund Module on the ECCS portal for filing and processing of refund claims under Section 27 of the Customs Act, 1962 in respect of Courier imports. Authorised Couriers may file refund applications electronically along with supporting documents; a unique Refund Request Number (RRN) is generated, deficiencies are intimated within 10 days, and orders (including SCN) are communicated electronically. Concurrent audit has been done away with in favour of post-audit, and as a transitional measure, manual filing of refund claims is permitted only up to 30th September 2026.

Read more