Mumbai Customs Zone Issues Advisory Implicating Customs Brokers as Co-Noticees in Interpretative Disputes

The Mumbai Customs Zone-II issued Advisory No. 02/2024-JNCH, implicating Customs Brokers as co-noticees in legal cases involving interpretative disputes over customs classification, valuation, or other matters. This advisory aims to hold Customs Brokers accountable for their role in the clearance of goods, emphasizing their shared responsibility with importers and exporters for proper documentation and accurate declarations. The advisory follows previous instructions to avoid penal provisions against Customs Brokers in routine audit cases unless specific acts of omission or commission are found. The CBIC has also directed that Personal Hearings should be granted before suspending a Customs Broker’s license under the Customs Broker Licensing Regulations, 2018. This move is part of ongoing efforts to tighten compliance and improve accountability in the customs clearance process.