<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">NEW DELHI</b> — In a major trade facilitation and regional supply chain resilience measure, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under the Ministry of Finance has issued an emergency notification granting temporary entry and transshipment access to all Indian international seaports and international airport cargo complexes for foreign-origin, foreign-bound cargo diverted away from volatile shipping corridors in the Strait of Hormuz.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">The extraordinary regulatory framework, enacted through a dedicated customs facilitation circular, takes immediate effect and will remain operational until October 31, 2026. The decision comes in response to severe maritime security frictions, elevated war-risk insurance surcharges, and vessel reroutings across West Asian chokepoints that have left international shipping lines and cargo owners searching for stable transshipment and storage gateways across the northern Indian Ocean rim.</p><p data-path-to-node="4"><b data-path-to-node="4" data-index-in-node="0">Comprehensive Bonded Custody and Transshipment Protocols</b></p><p data-path-to-node="4">

Under the newly notified CBIC guidelines, containerized freight (FCL and LCL), liquid bulk commodities, dry breakbulk, and air-eligible high-value consignments destined for third-party countries can be discharged at Indian gateways without incurring domestic customs duties, Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST), or standard import licensing liabilities.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">Key provisions established by the customs directive include:</p><ul data-path-to-node="6"><li><p data-path-to-node="6,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Special Bonded Storage Accounts:</b> Diverted cargo will be housed in designated bonded warehouse sectors and secure container yards within port and airport perimeters under single-window customs oversight.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="6,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Electronic Manifest Tracking:</b> International liners and air carriers are permitted to submit simplified transshipment cargo manifests (Electronic Data Interchange / EDI) with streamlined validation pathways to ensure accelerated ship-to-shore discharge.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="6,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Re-Export &amp; Sea-Air Synergies:</b> Cargo owners may hold shipments in bonded intermediate custody before loading onto alternative ocean vessels or converting urgent consignments into air-freight corridors for onward transit to Europe, the Far East, and the Americas.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="7"><b data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="0">Strengthening India’s Strategic Transshipment Role</b></p><p data-path-to-node="7">

By opening its major deepwater maritime gateways—including Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mundra, Cochin, and Chennai—alongside premier international aviation terminals in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, India is stepping in to mitigate systemic supply chain gridlocks.</p><p data-path-to-node="8">Logistics analysts and trade economists note that the CBIC initiative significantly compresses intermediate inventory holding risks for multinational corporations, prevents port dwell cascading delays across the Middle East, and solidifies India's role as a trusted regional multimodal logistics sanctuary amid ongoing geopolitical instability.</p>