Filing of Bills of Entry (BE) Unavailable from 11:00 AM on February 1, 2025, for ICES Updates Post-Budget
The Directorate General of Systems and Data Management (CBIC) issued Advisory No. 07/2025 on January 24, 2025. The advisory details important updates to the Indian Customs EDI System (ICES) following the Union Budget 2025-26, set for presentation on February 1, 2025. Below are the key changes and timelines for stakeholders:
Key Changes and Timelines
1. Suspension of Filing of Bills of Entry (BE)
Filing of Bills of Entry (BE) will suspend at 11:00 AM on February 1, 2025, and will remain unavailable until the system updates in ICES are complete.
The updates should finish within 48 hours, unless the Budget introduces significant new levies.
2. Impact on Section 48 Approvals
Approvals under Section 48 will pause after 11:00 AM on February 1, 2025, as the system updates take place.
3. Shipping Bill (SB) Filing to Continue
Filing and assessment of Shipping Bills (SB) will continue as usual.
Any new export duties, cesses, or other levies introduced in the Budget will require manual collection until the directory updates are implemented.
4. Processing of BEs Filed Before the Cutoff Time
Bills of Entry filed before 11:00 AM on February 1, 2025, will be processed as usual.
Field formations should monitor prior Bills of Entry for potential duty liability changes before issuing the Out of Charge (OOC).
Union Budget 2025-26 and ICES Updates
After the Budget is presented on February 1, 2025, Budget officers from Directory Management sites will update ICES with the necessary notifications and tariff changes under the supervision of the Directorate General of Systems, New Delhi.
These updates will align ICES with the provisions of the Budget 2025-26, including changes to import/export duties, cesses, or other levies.
Advisory for Stakeholders
Importers, customs brokers, and trade members should plan their BE clearances accordingly.
They must also monitor updates to export levies and track Shipping Bills cleared on or after February 1, 2025, to manually collect any applicable duties or cesses.
All other ICEGATE services will function as usual, and ICES will remain available for officers to perform other functions.
Conclusion
The ICES system will resume filing and processing of Bills of Entry once the updates are completed.
Stakeholders should plan their operations to avoid disruptions during this period.
Stay updated with official notifications for further developments.
