India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) signed a data sharing agreement with the Maldives Customs Service on 22 July 2021 that will enable automatic exchange of customs data between the two countries on a real time basis. This deal with Maldives allows the exchange of information on consignments before their arrival. It aims to reduce the time for customs clearance and discourage misdeclaration of trade and/or smuggling.

It is the first deal of its kind between India and another customs administration. The data will be used for both trade facilitation and customs compliance using risk management techniques. The Government of India is pursuing similar deals with other nations.

Related links:

CBIC seeks deals on early sharing of customs data

Customs Sign MoU with CBIC Allowing Exchange of Pre-arrival Data of Cargo