E-commerce platforms are spread worldwide and sellers are selling their products across the globe. Today, every single product, from a thread to a laptop, is delivered in every corner of the world even in single or multiple quantities. These sales are done through e-commerce platforms or through listing products on websites or different social media platforms.
In the case of exporting through e-commerce platforms, as quantity and value is very small, sellers can’t hire a CHA for every single item. Therefore, the easiest way of exporting the product is through the post. With an increase in sales through e-commerce platforms, exports through posts have increased substantially.
Considering the vast network of post offices and how much MSMEs are exporting extensively through the post, CBIC, in collaboration with the Department of Post (DoP), has developed a dedicated Postal Bills of Export (PBE) automated system for postal exports.
In this article, a detailed discussion has been carried out on how CBIC has automated the postal export platform.
1. Existing exporting process through Post
So far, exporting through the post is entirely a manual process. Seller is required to take his parcel to any of 28 notified Foreign post offices* for export where the Postal Bill of Export (PEB) is prepared manually by the Post office officials. The Postal Bill of Export is the Shipping Bill which demonstrates export.
After the export of the parcel, PBE is stamped by customs officers confirming the export and a corresponding Shipping Bill Number and EGM (Export General Manifest) number is stamped manually on PBE.
Thereafter, the exporter is required to physically collect such stamped PBE from the post office and such PBEs are submitted with government officers for claiming export-related refunds.
Like other shipping bills, GST officials also do not have any window to check the Shipping Bill Number and EGM on government portals.
* Postal Department facilitates import and export of goods by Post Parcels at Foreign Post Office and sub-Foreign Post Offices. Customs facilities for examination, assessment, clearance, etc. are available at these Post Offices. Facility for export clearances is also available at Export Extension Counters opened by the Postal Department where parcels for export are accepted and cleared by the Customs.
2. PBE Automated system
CBIC has notified Postal Export (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2022 vide N/No. No. 104/2022-Customs (N.T.) dated 9th December 2022 and also issued circular No. 25/2022-Customs to clarify the process.
These regulations are meant to facilitate the processing of commercial postal exports by automating the entire procedure and seamlessly connecting the postal export network to notified Foreign Post Offices (FPOs).
In the automated system, exporters will not be required to visit foreign post offices. Rather, he can file PBE online from his own place and hand over the consignment to a nearby post office (not necessarily Foreign Post Office) for export.
The Department of Post shall forward the consignment from the post office to the foreign post office for export clearances.
Entire export clearance shall take place on digital platforms while harnessing the existing post office network spread across the country and will be amenable to being scaled up to cover small exporters/producers located in remote areas.
An exporter is required to undertake the following steps for exporting commercial parcels through post:
2.1 Access to PBE Automated System
PBE Automated system can be accessed by the trade using the link https://dnk.cept.gov.in/customers.web. This link will direct the user to the following login page of “Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra- Customer Portal”.
Similarly, the customs officers can access the export documents uploaded by the exporter for custom clearance by going to the link http://ips.cept.gov.in/customs.web/login.aspx. This link will direct the custom officer to the login page of “Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra- Customer Portal”.
The Department of Post shall share the detailed procedure of using this portal on a later stage for both exporter and customs authorities.
2.2 Registration on PBE Automated System
As per Regulation 4 of Postal Export (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2022, every exporter is required to register himself on the PBE Automated system. On the login page, after clicking on “Register Now”, the following registration form shall pop up:
The registration process shall begin with OTP Based authentication. OTP will be received on the registered mobile number.
On authentication of mobile number, the exporter shall update his personal and business information on the portal such as Name, Address, IEC Number and GSTIN, etc, and shall upload the KYC Documents.
Exporters shall be given a username and password to access the system.
In the present form, the PBE Automated system also provides for registering details of authorized agents where required.
2.3 Booking of Postal Articles for Export
To book an article on the PBE Automated system, the exporter is required to log in at the portal using his login id and password.
PBE Form shall appear under the “Article Booking” sub-menu and the Exporter shall fill in the required fields of the PBE Form such as Description of Consignments, Export designations, sender’s and receiver’s details, etc.
If the exporter wants to avail service of an authorized agent, then the exporter shall also fill in the agent’s name, address, and customs broker's license number.
On completion of said process, an article booking reference ID and a PBE number will be auto-generated.
The Exporter can print the CN 23 (Custom Declaration) form or Harmonized label, as appropriate, corresponding to the export.
In case of multiple consignments, the portal also provides the feature of bulk upload of information and supporting documents.
2.4 Further processing at Booking Post Office (BPO)
