CBIC operationalises budget reforms for express sector; aims on digitisation, quick clearances: Chairman
New Delhi, June 18
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has operationalised a series of policy reforms introduced in the Union Budget 2026-27 for the express and courier sector, aimed at improving trade facilitation, reducing clearance time and strengthening digitisation, CBIC Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi said today.
"The reforms announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 which CBIC has operationalised specifically for the express and courier trade represent one of the most consequential sets of changes which have been done for the sector in many years," Chaturvedi said while addressing an outreach programme on policy reforms for the express sector held by Express Industry Council of India.
He said the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS), developed in partnership with the Express Industry Council of India (EICI), has transformed courier clearances by creating a system designed specifically for high-volume, time-sensitive shipments.
"ECCS was not an adaptation of an existing system. It was conceived from the ground up around the unique operational reality of express cargo," he said.
Chaturvedi said ECCS is now operational at international courier terminals across nine major cities in India, enabling electronic processing, system-driven assessments and faster clearances. He highlighted the Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL) facility under ECCS, saying it has become the default and mandated mode of duty payment for courier imports.
"The ECL has now stabilised into the default and mandated mode of payment of duty for courier imports and has meaningfully reduced delays that were earlier caused by payment reconciliation issues," he said.
The CBIC Chairman also pointed to the bulk upload facility for courier bills of entry and shipping bills as a unique feature of ECCS.
"Nowhere else in our country's entire customs architecture does a trader have the ability to upload multiple bills of entry or shipping bills in a single consolidated action," he said.
On Budget 2026-27 reforms, Chaturvedi said the removal of the ₹10 lakh value ceiling for commercial export consignments through courier mode would provide greater flexibility to exporters, particularly e-commerce exporters dealing in high-value goods.
"Exporters can now ship high value consignments through the courier mode without being forced into slower conventional cargo channels purely on account of a value restriction," he said.
He said the reforms also introduced a legally backed return-to-origin facility for unclaimed consignments. Goods that remain uncleared or unclaimed for more than 15 days and are not prohibited, restricted or under enforcement hold can now be returned through a simplified process.
Chaturvedi said customs has also moved towards a risk-based framework for re-imported, returned and rejected goods instead of consignment-wise verification, easing movement of low-risk e-commerce returns.
Looking ahead, he said CBIC will focus on deeper digitisation, faceless processing and stronger data integration between ECCS, the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (ICEGATE) and other regulatory systems.
He said the proposed Customs Integrated System (CIS), expected to be rolled out in two years, will be a major step in customs digitisation.
"The focus will also be on the continual evolution of the trusted trader approach. Trust is the buzzword for customs," Chaturvedi said, adding that the department aims to extend trust-based facilitation schemes like the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) framework further into the express ecosystem.
He said CBIC will continue engaging with industry bodies, including EICI and other stakeholders, to identify friction points and develop further reforms.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting to see India pushing digitisation in customs. I work with a logistics firm in the UK and we often have delays with Indian courier clearances. The ECCS sounds promising if implemented properly. But I hope the system is truly user-friendly and not just another bureaucratic portal. Let's see how it works on the ground.
Great to see the CBIC Chairman talking about trust-based facilitation. The AEO scheme is excellent for compliant businesses, but we need to ensure it doesn't become exclusive. Small traders without the resources for all the paperwork might get left behind. Also, the return-to-origin facility is long overdue - earlier we had to abandon goods or pay penalties for unclaimed parcels. Good move! 👏
I'm cautiously optimistic. I've seen many "transformative" reforms in Indian customs over the years that looked good on paper but faltered due to ground-level corruption or tech glitches. The bulk upload feature and electronic cash ledger are nice, but will the system actually reduce the bribery that small agents face at some terminals? Only time will tell. One crore per shipment limit removal is definitely a positive for e-commerce exporters though.
As a small e-commerce seller dealing in handloom and handicrafts from Bengaluru, this is such a relief! Our international shipments often get stuck because of the value ceiling and we lose customers. The risk-based framework for returns is also great - earlier even a $5 rejected item had to go through full verification. Thank you CBIC for listening to industry feedback! ❤️
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.