Pic: Shutterstock
Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue (NBR) recently allowed repurposed use of containers for the export-oriented industries located within export processing zones. With the relaxation in customs rules, such units will not have to send empty containers to the designated locations of shipping agents after unloading imported raw materials inside the EPZs.
This will allow the units to save cost and time on shipments.
The customs wing of the board issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) through a special order on November 5 regarding this, according to Bangla media reports.
Currently, EPZ industries import raw materials under bonded warehouse facility, unload the containers inside the zones and send back the empty containers to the designated locations, depots, ports or freight stations.
After returning the empty containers, the shipping agents or freight forwarders send again the empty containers to the EPZs for loading export goods.
According to the SOP, the exporters will have to make online shipping orders to the shipping agents or freight forwarders for exporting products through full container load (FCL) or less container load (LCL) containers.
They will have to submit an application to the customs authority two working days before container transportation by furnishing copies of sales contracts/export orders/letters of credit, export permits approved by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and risk bond.
Customs officials in the EPZs, not below the rank of assistant revenue officer, will scrutinise the documents submitted with application and shipping orders online.
The customs officials will conduct physical verification of the export products at the time of loading the container.
The officials will also conduct GPS tracking with electronic seal of the loaded containers. In case of absence of the GPS tracking, they will use exiting bullet seals.
At the time of issuing out pass, the customs officials will cross check the physical verification report, container number and seal number. The custom officials, who will give the out pass for containers carrying export goods, will have to maintain a separate register containing names of the exporting companies and container numbers.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association hailed the decision.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Bangladesh's National Board of Revenue (NBR) recently allowed repurposed use of containers for the export-oriented industries located within export processing zones. With the relaxation in customs rules, such units will not have to send empty containers to the designated locations of shipping agents after unloading imported raw materials inside the EPZs.