Tag: #IndianCustoms

  • CESTAT Kolkata Sets Aside Seizure of Black Pepper & Green Peas

    CESTAT Kolkata Sets Aside Seizure of Black Pepper & Green Peas

    Date: 24.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Kolkata Bench – Court No. 2, has allowed a batch of six appeals related to the alleged smuggling of black pepper and green peas from Nepal into India, holding that the Revenue failed to prove the foreign origin of the goods and that the seizures conducted at Muzaffarpur constituted “town seizures” without sufficient statutory backing.

    • Based on intelligence reports, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a truck and escort car at Hajipur, Bihar on 28.05.2019.
    • The truck was found carrying 6,718.5 kg of black pepper and 3,918 kg of peas.
    • The Revenue alleged these goods were smuggled from Nepal through Bhimnagar border and lacked legal documentation.

  • CESTAT Ahmedabad Held that value cannot be re-determined on weight when units price were declared and invoiced

    CESTAT Ahmedabad Held that value cannot be re-determined on weight when units price were declared and invoiced

    Date: 23.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Ahmedabad – Court No. 3, has allowed two appeals filed by ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd., setting aside penalties and redemption fine imposed by customs authorities on the grounds of alleged misdeclaration of weight in multiple Bills of Entry.

    • The case pertained to import of engineering components including:
      • Carbon Steel Forged Hemi (ASME SA266 GR2)
      • Proof Machined Low Alloy Steel Spool
      • Test Plates
    • Customs claimed excess weight in three shipments totaling over 13.37 MTS more than declared.
    • Alleged misdeclaration valued at approx. β‚Ή31.45 lakhs with total differential duty of approx. β‚Ή9.48 lakhs.

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  • CESTAT Mumbai No provision under Customs Act, 1962 empowers officers to collect interest in the absence of duty

    CESTAT Mumbai No provision under Customs Act, 1962 empowers officers to collect interest in the absence of duty

    Date: 23.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai Bench has allowed the appeal of M/s Lotus Herbals Color Cosmetics, ordering the refund of β‚Ή1,02,818, which was collected as interest without legal authority during EPCG import clearance.

    • The appellant imported a filling machine and parts under Bill of Entry No. 7362042 dated 27.03.2020 at JNPT, Nhava Sheva.
    • At the time of filing, they did not possess an EPCG authorisation, which was later issued on 03.06.2020.
    • Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the EPCG licence was submitted after some delay.
    • Customs officers allegedly verbally demanded payment of interest for the intervening period.
    • The appellant paid β‚Ή1,02,818 as interest vide challan dated 25.06.2020, and the goods were cleared at nil customs duty under Notification No. 16/2015-Cus.

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  • CESTAT New Delhi Quashes Customs Order Due to Inordinate Delay in Adjudication

    CESTAT New Delhi Quashes Customs Order Due to Inordinate Delay in Adjudication

    Date: 22.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Delhi Principal Bench, has set aside a 2023 customs adjudication order issued against Innovale Investment Pte Ltd, ruling that the inordinate delay of nearly 10 years in adjudicating a show cause notice rendered the proceedings unsustainable in law.

    • The dispute pertained to the import of an Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft under Bill of Entry No. 269117 dated 24.06.2011.
    • The aircraft was provisionally released against a bond and bank guarantee of β‚Ή4.10 crore.
    • Customs authorities alleged misuse of exemption under Notification No. 01/2002-Cus as amended by Notification 01/2011-Cus, and issued a show cause notice on 31.07.2013.
    • On 19.01.2023, the Principal Commissioner of Customs ordered:
      • Confiscation of the aircraft under Section 111(o) of the Customs Act.
      • Redemption fine of β‚Ή1 crore under Section 125.
      • Penalty of β‚Ή25 lakh under Section 112(a).

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  • CESTAT Chennai Declares Customs Broker Suspension Appeals Infructuous Following High Court Quashing

    CESTAT Chennai Declares Customs Broker Suspension Appeals Infructuous Following High Court Quashing

    Date: 22.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Chennai Bench – Court No. I disposed of two appeals filed by M/s HSN Shipping Pvt. Ltd. related to the suspension and continued suspension of its Customs Broker Licence (No. R-308/CHA), declaring them infructuous in light of a prior Madras High Court order that had already quashed the impugned orders.

    • HSN Shipping Pvt. Ltd. was a licensed customs broker under CBLR, 2013, holding valid licence No. R-308/2014.
    • The company handled clearance of a consignment imported by M/s R.S. Enterprises under Bill of Entry No. 6102740 dated 15.07.2014.
    • Allegations were made that the broker forged an β€œopen chit” document at the CFS and improperly obtained signatures, leading to an order of suspension on 09.06.2015 and a subsequent Order-in-Original dated 02.07.2015 continuing the suspension under Regulation 19(2) of the CBLR, 2013.

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  • CESTAT Hyderabad Upholds DFIA Exemption on Lithium-Ion Battery Imports

    CESTAT Hyderabad Upholds DFIA Exemption on Lithium-Ion Battery Imports

    Date: 21.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Hyderabad Bench – Court No. I has dismissed the Department’s appeal and upheld the exemption granted to M/s Olectra Greentech Ltd. for import of Lithium-ion batteries under a Transferable DFIA (Duty-Free Import Authorisation) scheme.

    • Olectra Greentech imported lithium-ion cells under a DFIA license issued against exports of Agricultural Tractors.
    • The customs department denied the benefit of exemption under Notification No. 25/2023-Cus dated 01.04.2023, stating that lithium-ion batteries do not match the export input description of “automotive batteries.”
    • The Commissioner (Appeals) had earlier ruled in favor of Olectra, prompting a departmental appeal.

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  • CESTAT Bangalore set aside the re-determined valuation

    CESTAT Bangalore set aside the re-determined valuation

    Date: 21.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Bangalore Bench, has ruled in favor of M/s Saash Enterprises, setting aside a customs order that had rejected the declared transaction value of imported laminators, binding machines, and related equipment. The Tribunal quashed the re-determined valuation, confiscation, penalty, and fine imposed by the lower authorities.

    • The case involved Bill of Entry No. 8730452 dated 11.12.2012 for goods including laminators, wire binding machines, and paper cutters.
    • Although the physical description and quantity of the goods matched the import documentation, the customs authorities questioned the declared value and engaged a Chartered Engineer, who estimated a value of USD 69,021 against the declared USD 55,142.06.
    • Based on this, customs re-valued the consignment to β‚Ή46.43 lakhs (from β‚Ή30.96 lakhs) and imposed:
      • Redemption fine of β‚Ή5,00,000
      • Penalty of β‚Ή2,00,000 under Section 112(a) of the Customs Act, 1962

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  • CESTAT Kolkata Rejected Customs attempt to apply two different transaction values

    CESTAT Kolkata Rejected Customs attempt to apply two different transaction values

    Date: 18.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Kolkata Bench (Court No. 2) has dismissed the Revenue’s appeal against M/s Kiran Trading Company, thereby upholding the order of the Commissioner (Port), Kolkata, which had dropped proceedings initiated under a DRI show cause notice.

    1. The Revenue appealed against the Order-in-Original dated 23.10.2018, which dropped charges of mis-declaration of value and evasion of Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) on imports of Chinese-origin Melamine by M/s Kiran Trading Company. ​
    2. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) alleged over-invoicing to evade ADD, based on investigations and analysis of import patterns.

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