Latest news with #DirectorateofInternationalCustoms
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
MRAs with 10 more nations soon: DIC
New Delhi: India has signed mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with customs authorities of nine countries and is looking at inking such pacts with 10 more nations by December this year, a government official said on Tuesday. Under this agreement, trade facilitation is extended reciprocally. Akhil Kumar Khatri, Principal Commissioner, Directorate of International Customs (DIC), said these MRAs help promote two-way trade. 'We have signed these agreements with nine countries and by December this year, we are looking at signing with 10 more nations,' Khatri told PTI on the sidelines of an event on 'Unlocking Global Trade Synergies: First India-Russia AEO Seminar in association with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)'. It was organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) here. Last year, the CBIC and the Russia's Federal Customs Service signed the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) MRA to provide reciprocal benefits to accredited and trusted exporters of both countries in the clearance of goods by the customs authorities of the importing country. India has already signed such pacts with with the customs administrations of South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, the UAE, Australia, and Russia.
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Rise in Vizag AEO-certified entities
Visakhapatnam: With rising Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) adoption, India is steadily positioning itself as a trusted player in global trade, observed Chief Commissioner of Customs and Central Tax, Visakhapatnam Zone Sanjay a seminar on authorised economic operators held in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, he highlighted the growing importance of the AEO in strengthening India's trade ecosystem. Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the seminar witnessed participation of over 100 stakeholders from the import-export and logistics industry. 'The number of AEO-certified entities in Visakhapatnam zone has increased to 118, up from 46 earlier, reflecting growing industry awareness and trust in the scheme,' Sanjay Rathi stressed. Underscoring India's broader logistics progress, he pointed out that India has climbed to 38th position in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) 2023, a significant jump from the 54th rank in 2014. Principal Commissioner, Directorate of International Customs, Delhi, Akil Kumar Khatri highlighted that the AEO programme, launched 14 years ago, is a voluntary initiative by customs to identify and support trusted businesses involved in international trade. It helps reduce delays, speeds up clearances, and offers global recognition through mutual agreements with other countries, making trade safer, faster, and more efficient for compliant importers, exporters, and logistics providers. Immediate past chairman, CII Rajesh Grandhi underlined the need for continuous policy improvement and shared key industry suggestions, including extending the deferred duty payment window to 30 days. Past chairman of CII G Sambasiva Rao highlighted the growing role of Andhra Pradesh in global trade. He noted that the state has contributed nearly USD 20 billion in merchandise exports in FY 2024–25, led by key sectors such as marine products, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, engineering goods, and minerals. N Sridhar, Principal Commissioner, Custom House, Visakhapatnam, Pradeep Kumar, Joint Commissioner, Directorate of International Customs, Delhi, G Krishna Mohan, vice chairman, CII and other senior customs officials spoke.
