What is ICES ?
The Indian Customs EDI System (ICES) is now operational at 245 major customs locations handling nearly 98% of India's International trade in terms of import and export consignments. ICES has two aspects:
- Internal Automation of the Custom House for a comprehensive, paperless, fully automated customs clearance system that makes the functioning of Customs clearance transparent and efficient.
- Online, real-time electronic interface with the trade, transport,Banks and regulatory agencies concerned with customs clearance of import and export cargo through ICEGATE.
- ICES is designed to exchange/transact customs clearance related information electronically using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). A large number of documents that trade, transport and regulatory agencies (collectively called Trading Partners) are required to submit/ receive in the process of live customs clearance are now being processed online.
Customs EDI Trading Partners: Summary
| No |
EDI trading partner |
Nature of information exchanged through EDI |
No. of messages (approx.) |
| 1 |
Importers/ Exporters/ CHA |
Bills of Entry/ Shipping Bills and related messages |
13 |
| 2 |
Airlines / Shipping Agents / Shipping Line |
Manifests and cargo logistics messages |
26 |
| 3 |
Air Custodians |
Cargo logistics messages |
9 |
| 4 |
Sea Custodians |
Cargo logistics messages |
18 |
| 5 |
ICDs |
Cargo logistics messages |
6 |
| 6 |
Banks |
Financial messages – duty drawbac disbursal and customs duty payment |
9 |
| 7 |
DGFT |
License, shipping bills and IE Code data |
13 |
| 8 |
RBI |
Forex. Remmittance data |
1 |
| 9 |
DGCIS |
Trade statistics |
2 |
| 10 |
Directorate of Valuation |
Valuation data |
2 |
Three Systems are major Components of Indian Custom automation
- The ICES running at 134 locations. ICES has to automatically receive and process all incoming messages. ICES generate all outgoing messages automatically at the appropriate stage of the clearance process.
- ICEGATE is the interface of ICES with the external world for customs clearance related messages and sharing of trade Statistics/Customs clearance data with licencing and regulatory agencies such as DGFT, DGCI&S, Ministry of Steel,RBI etc.
- RMS(Risk Management System) is the 3rd component which facilitates the compliant trade segregating the transactions requiring deeper scrutiny by customs officers.
