21/2025 : Strengthening Trade Facilitation through Institutionalised Consultation Mechanisms

Circular No. 21/2025-Customs

File No. 520/12/2022-Cus-VI
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(Customs Policy Wing)
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Room No.229A, North Block, New Delhi
Dated: 12-09-2025

To,

All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive)/ Central Tax and Customs.
All Principal Commissioners/ Commissioners of Customs /Customs (Preventive).
All Principal Director Generals/ Director Generals of Directorates under CBIC.

Subject: Strengthening Trade Facilitation through Institutionalised Consultation Mechanisms – Reg.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has implemented wide-ranging reforms focusing on digitisation, transparency, and trade facilitation. Within this context, Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees (CCFCs) and Permanent Trade Facilitation Committees (PTFCs), established under Circular Nos. 42/2013-Customs and 13/2015-Customs respectively, have played pivotal roles in stakeholder engagement and issue resolution.

2. With evolving trade patterns, increasing reliance on digital processing, and a growing emphasis on measurable service delivery, CBIC has reviewed the composition and functioning of PTFCs and CCFCs. This Master Circular consolidates and supersedes earlier guidelines to realign these committees besides taking measures keeping in view current priorities of consultative decision-making, stakeholders’ engagement and grievance redressal, and integration with national trade facilitation objectives.

2.1 It has been decided that PTFCs shall now meet fortnightly, while CCFCs shall meet once in two months. Revised composition and ToRs for PTFC and CCFC are annexed as Annexures 1 and 2 respectively.

2.2 The composition of PTFCs has been significantly broadened to include representatives from DGFT, custodians, PGAs, shipping lines, logistics service providers, trade councils, and Customs Brokers, besides existing trade participants. Similarly, CCFCs now include, in addition to senior Customs officers, representatives from Ministries of Shipping, Railways, Highways, Civil Aviation, and senior functionaries from PGAs operating under SWIFT. The inclusion of representatives from DG Systems (ICES/ICEGATE), NCTC, and Directorate of Logistics aims to strengthen systemic improvement and inter-agency coordination.

2.3 The Terms of Reference (ToR) of both committees have been revised to further include:

• Ensure timely resolution of grievances and bottlenecks
• Monitor performance of digital grievance tools like TSKs, AEM and ICEGATE helpdesk
• Escalate unresolved issues to NACs

3. Faceless Assessment has brought standardisation and uniformity in Customs processing. To address delays in clearance of live Bills of Entry, a tri-layered grievance redressal mechanism comprising the Anonymised Escalation Mechanism (AEM) [Circular 14/2021 & 23/2022-Customs], Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs) [Circular 45/2020], and National Assessment Centres (NACs) [Circulars 13/2023 & 40/2020] has been institutionalised.

3.1 The AEM allows ICEGATE-registered users to raise online grievances after filing the Bill of Entry. These are auto-routed to the concerned Additional/Joint Commissioner in the FAG, with anonymised identities and real-time tracking. Board has further directed DG Systems to revamp AEM mechanism and a suitable advisory will be issued on revamped AEM by DG Systems with suitable MIS to be available with senior Customs management.

3.2 The TSKs, established in each Customs Zone, serve as the physical and operational interface for facilitating Customs processes under Faceless Assessment. They facilitate clearance process of the trade by tracking of local grievances, coordination with assessment groups, and provide support to the trade in any procedural aspects. Officers posted at TSKs must proactively assist the trade in identifying delays and liaising with assessment officers for swift resolution. A consolidated list of all TSK is enclosed as Annexure-3. Further in order to ensure efficiency in functioning of TSK, a digital portal is being created to monitor timely resolution of grievances or any procedural requirement of trade.

3.3 All officers are required to constantly monitor AEM tickets and TSK-raised grievances and resolve all such grievances in a time bound manner. All Commissioners are required to closely monitor all such grievances. Further, National Assessment Centres (NACs) are inter-alia entrusted to monitor and analyse the grievances that are being raised due to non-uniformity in their respective FAGs. For effective monitoring of functioning of FAGs and redressal of import related grievances relating to Faceless Assessment, NACs have already been asked to have a separate cell and to take proactive measures to minimize grievances and conduct sectoral consultations every fortnightly. NAC convenors through separate cell shall also monitor grievances raised through AEM, TSK or through any other mechanism and coordinate for resolution focusing grievances pending for more than two days. Additionally, NACs shall provide guidance to FAGs to ensure uniformity in assessment practices and recommend systemic improvements based on grievance trends. To enable easy access, consolidated contact details of NACs have been provided at Annexure-4.

4. An increasing number of Customs-related grievances are received via social media platforms (e.g. ‘X’) and official email channels. Each zone shall establish a dedicated mechanism to monitor such grievances. Every grievance shall be acknowledged with a unique reference number and resolved appropriately in a time-bound manner. Frequently raised issues should be included in CCFC agenda for further deliberations.

5. A high level Customs Consultative Group (CCG) also engages with all trade and government stakeholders. The issue raised by trade get opportunity for redressal at multiple forum like PTFC, CCFC, NAC etc. However certain unresolved policy issues and issues having wider pan India implications should be flagged to CCG for comprehensive deliberations and appropriate course correction. All field formations are advised that grievances originating by any stakeholders from local Customs stations or specific ports must be discussed in the appropriate PTFC and CCFC platforms in consultation with relevant PGAs, custodians, and trade bodies and ensure that issues which can be resolved locally in consultation with trade should not be delayed by flagging to CCG.

6. Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners are instructed to sensitise stakeholders and committee members, issue necessary Trade/Public Notices to reinforce consultative and grievance redressal mechanism and also inform any change in TSK or NAC.

7. Difficulty, if any, in the implementation of this circular may be brought to the notice of the Board.

8. Hindi version follows.

Yours faithfully,

Digitally signed by Suresh Kumar Meena
Date: 12-09-2025 19:06:08

(Suresh Kumar Meena)
Dy. Commissioner/ OSD, Cus-VI
011-23095555
[Email:- uscus6-dor@gov.in]

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Annexure-1

Composition and Terms of Reference (ToR) for Permanent Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC)

A. Composition:

The PTFC shall be constituted at each Customs Station. The jurisdictional Pr. Commissioner or Commissioner of Customs, as the case may be, shall chair the meeting accompanied by all senior departmental officers. The Committee, in addition to senior Customs officers, shall include representatives from DGFT, custodians, PGAs, shipping lines, logistics service providers, trade councils, and Customs Brokers, besides existing trade participants.

B. Terms of Reference (ToR):

• (i) Ensuring and monitoring expeditious clearance of imported and export goods in accordance with the timeline specified by the parent Ministry/ Department concerned.
• (ii) Identifying and removing bottlenecks, if any, for streamlining and easing the Customs clearance process of imported or export goods. Issues/concerns raised by trade/ Importers or Exporters during a month through grievances should also be included in the Agenda items for discussion in PTFC meeting.
• (iii) Resolving grievances of importers, exporters represented by trade bodies and industry and flagging the issues having pan India implication or that may not be resolved at local level to jurisdictional Chief Commissioners, as required.
• (iv) Establishing Single point of Contact (SPOC) and circulating its details across all agencies for effective coordination and collaboration for faster clearance process.
• (v) Reviewing routinely the membership of the PTFC with the aim of including all stakeholders in the Customs functioning.
• (vi) Proper implementation and effective monitoring of existing grievance redressal mechanisms (TSKs, AEM or ICEGATE Helpdesk etc) and to escalate unresolved issues to NACs.
• (vii) Uploading a list of all TSKs, along with contact officer’s E-mail IDs on the commissionerate’s official website and publicising the same through Public Notices.