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Customs officers must clear import consignments of plastic packaging and related materials after verifying the importer's EPR registration certificate. Officers must treat EPR registration certificates that show a one-year validity period as one-time registrations that do not require renewal. This instruction follows the amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules notified on 30 October 2023. Importers of plastic packaging, commodities with plastic packaging, plastic raw materials, and intermediate materials for manufacturing plastic packaging must register on the Common EPR portal. This measure addresses importer grievances regarding clearance difficulties caused by the one-year validity period stated on their certificates.
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Instruction No. 15/2026-Customs
F. No. 401/11/2022-Cus.III
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
(Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs)
Kartavya Bhawan-01, New Delhi
Dated: 09-09-2026
To,
All Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive)/Customs & Central Taxes.
All Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive).
All Pr. Director General/Director Generals under CBIC.
Subject: Registration of Importers under Centralized EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (as amended) and verification of registration– reg.
Madam/Sir,
Reference is invited to CBIC Instruction No. 14/2023-Customs dated 17.04.2023, CBIC Instruction No. 21/2025-Customs dated 02.07.2025 and TNPCB letter dated 15.08.2026 (copy enclosed) on the above subject.
TNPCB in its letter has stated that all importers of plastic packaging, commodities with plastic packaging, plastic raw materials and intermediate materials are mandated to register on the Common EPR portal developed by Central Pollution Control Board (https://epr.cpcb.gov.in/home) and are not permitted to carry out any business activity without obtaining EPR registration.
It is also informed that the applications filed by importers in Common EPR portal is scrutinized by the CPCB / and or SPCB and EPR registration certificates are issued to the importers upon verification of correctness of the details furnished by importers in their EPR application.
TNPCB has further informed that it has been receiving grievances from various importers stating their difficulty in obtaining the consignments with due clearance from the Customs Department due to the invalid EPR certificate issued to importer specifying one year period as validity as mentioned in the certificate.
In view of this and in terms of TNPCB letter dated 15.08.2023, it is requested that necessary action may be taken to sensitise officers under your jurisdiction for the following :
Difficulties, if any, in implementation of these instructions may be brought to the notice of the Board.
Hindi version follows.
Yours faithfully,
[Image omitted. See the official document.] 09/09/26
(Anshuman Yadav)
OSD (Cus-III)
Customs Policy Wing, CBIC
[Image omitted. See the official document.]
From
The Chairperson,
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board,
76 Mount Salai, Guindy,
Chennai – 600032
To
The Chairman,
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
North Block, Secretariat Building,
New Delhi - 110001
Letter No.T5/TNPCB/F.016396/EPR/2022 dt. 15-08-2026
Sir,
Sub: TNPCB – Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging – Registration of Importers as per provisions of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024 – Intimation – Reg.
Ref:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Packaging under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and its subsequent amendments. As per the said Rules, EPR mandates Producer, Importer and Brand Owners (PIBOs), Seller and Manufacturer to take responsibility for the management of the plastic packaging waste introduced into the Indian market in an environmental sound manner, through recycling, re-use or end-of-life disposal.
As per the PWM Rules, an Importer is defined as a person who imports the following items for commercial use:
All importers of plastic packaging, commodities with plastic packaging, plastic raw materials and intermediate materials are mandated to register on the Common EPR portal developed by Central Pollution Control Board (https://epr.cpcb.gov.in/home) and are not permitted to carry out any business activity without obtaining EPR registration.
No. 76, MOUNT SALAI, GUINDY, CHENNAI - 600 032.
Tel : 044-22353134 - 139 Fax : 044-22353068
Email : tnpcb-chn@gov.in Web : tnpcb.gov.in
It is informed that the applications filed by importers in Common EPR portal is scrutinized by the CPCB and / or SPCB's and EPR registration certificates are issued to the importers upon verification of correctness of the details furnished by importers in their EPR application.
With reference to the letters vide references 1ˢᵗ, 2ⁿᵈ, 3ʳᵈ and 4ᵗʰ cited, CPCB has requested your goodselves office to issue instructions to concerned authorities for the verification of the proof of registration on the Common EPR Portal as the importer category at the time of clearing their consignment.
However, TNPC Board has been receiving grievances from various importers stating their difficulty in obtaining the consignments with due clearance from the Customs Department due to the invalid EPR certificate issued to importer specifying one year period as validity as mentioned in the certificate.
Further, it is informed that the Government of Tamil Nadu, vide G.O. Ms. No. 84, dated 25.06.2018, imposed a ban, with effect from 01.01.2019, on the manufacture, storage, transport, supply, sale, and use of 14 categories of "use-and-throwaway" plastic items, including plastic carry bags irrespective of thickness.
In this regard, it is requested that necessary instructions shall be issued to the concerned authorities on the following:
This is submitted for your kind information and necessary action.
ANURAG MISHRA
CHAIRPERSON, TNPCB
[Image omitted. See the official document.] 24/8/26
For Chairperson
[Image omitted. See the official document.] 24/08/26
