Revenue Secretary Calls for Streamlined Customs Procedures to Enhance Exporters' Access to Global Markets

Indian Customs Reforms: Key Takeaways

Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava emphasized the importance of streamlining Customs procedures to support India's expanding manufacturing base and support MSMEs, digital entrepreneurs, and start-ups.

Customs Reforms

Indian Customs has demonstrated adaptability in internalizing changes, such as:

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• Faceless assessments
• Risk management systems
• Strengthening non-intrusive inspection
• Building integrated digital platforms

These efforts have delivered results, reducing dwell times, improving transparency, and enhancing confidence among trade participants.

Budget Announcements

The Budget reflects a clear and consistent policy direction, with measures to minimize intervention and enhance certainty for trade. Key announcements include:

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• Extending validity period of advance ruling from 3 years to 5 years
• Minimizing verification time for regular importers
• Processing approvals for cargo clearance through a single digital window by the end of the financial year
• Expanding utilization of non-intrusive scanning with advanced imaging and AI technology for risk assessment
• Enhancing duty deferral period for 'Tier-2' and 'Tier-3' Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) from 15 days to 30 days

Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs)

The AEO status is a globally recognized certification for businesses involved in international trade. The AEO status is divided into levels based on the company's size and compliance history, with Tier-3 AEO being the highest compliance label.

Implementation Progress

India has achieved a 93.55 percent implementation score in the 2025 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, the highest in South Asia and comparable to several advanced economies. The OECD Trade Facilitation Indicators have also improved significantly.

Digital Transformation

The Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE 2.0) and Single Window Interface for trade with multiple partner agencies are transforming the clearance system into a data-driven border intelligence network. Today, 86% of transactions are processed without official clearances.