New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has operationalised comprehensive reforms to streamline e‑commerce exports and courier-based trade, including the removal of the Rs 10 lakh value cap per courier consignment, the government said on Tuesday.
The reforms, effective April 1, are expected to significantly boost exports, especially for e-commerce exporters, by allowing greater flexibility in shipment value and enabling seamless exports through the courier mode, an official statement said.
It also eliminated the need to divert such shipments to conventional air or sea cargo solely due to value restrictions, the statement from the Ministry of Finance said.
Further, a Return to Origin mechanism for uncleared shipments has been approved to boost ease of doing business for MSMEs, artisans, and startups by reducing logistics inefficiencies, dwell time and transaction costs in courier‑based trade.
Uncleared or unclaimed imports that remain so for more than 15 days — and are not prohibited, restricted or under enforcement hold — may be returned to origin through a simplified process under the new rule, easing congestion at courier terminals and improving logistics efficiency.
The CBIC has also simplified the procedure for the re-import of returned or rejected goods, including those relating to e-commerce exports.
“A risk-based approach has been adopted in place of consignment-wise verification, and necessary amendments have been carried out in the relevant notification. In addition, a dedicated return module has been developed in the Express Cargo Clearance System to facilitate smooth processing of such returns,” the statement said.
These reforms are supported by system-based enhancements and process simplifications aimed at improving the overall efficiency of courier-based trade.
“The introduction of these measures marks another important milestone in the Government’s ongoing efforts to promote ease of doing business, strengthen India’s e-commerce export ecosystem and enhance the country’s competitiveness in global trade,” the ministry said.
India’s e‑commerce market, currently at $120–140 billion, is projected to reach $280–300 billion by 2030, even as it remains 7–8 per cent of total consumer spending, a recent report had said.
—IANS
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