The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has set the endgame for legacy export messaging. Under Circular No. 47/2026-Customs dated 1 November 2026, the erstwhile export messages will be discontinued in a phased manner, zone by zone, with Cargo Information Message (CIM) filing under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations (SCMTR), 2018 becoming mandatory — the transition running till 31 January 2027. The first zone switches off on 16 November 2026, and the last listed phase lands on 6 January 2027.
Quick answer: CBIC Circular No. 47/2026-Customs dated 1 November 2026 phases out the old export messages under the SCMTR, 2018 framework, mandating CIM messages zone by zone from 16 November 2026 (Thiruvananthapuram) to 6 January 2027 (Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai zones), with the transition period running till 31 January 2027 and no penal action during the implementation phase.
The circular is addressed to the customs field formations across the country and to the Directorates General under CBIC. Its diagnosis is practical: all import and export leg messages have been deployed by DG Systems under the SCMTR framework, but filing of export-side messages is still limited to certain ports. Custodians, terminal operators and trans-shippers have not fully transitioned, the circular says, specifically because of dependence on third-party software and the time needed for system integration and operational readiness. Some stakeholders are still adopting SCMTR-compliant software and message formats. The phased stoppage is designed to complete the transition without disrupting cargo clearance or trade operations.
What the circular requires
Three operative points carry the whole circular. First, the erstwhile export messages stop in phases as per Annexure A, and CIM messages under SCMTR, 2018 take their place. Second, during the transition period, all stakeholders must adopt SCMTR-compliant software and message formats — this is not optional preparation, it is the direction for the transition window. Third, no penal action should be taken during this implementation phase. That assurance matters: stakeholders moving to the new formats in good faith during the window should not face penalties for the transition itself.
Field formations have their own duties under the circular. They may issue suitable Public Notices and undertake outreach measures, in coordination with stakeholders, to familiarise trade with the SCMTR, 2018 provisions for a smooth roll-out. System-related issues are to be resolved in coordination with DG Systems, while policy-related issues must be brought to the notice of the Board. Any difficulties in implementation may likewise be brought to the Board's notice. The circular also notes that the Hindi version shall follow, and it is signed by Indrajit Panda, Under Secretary (Customs IV), Customs Policy Wing.
The circular sits on two instruments it cites: the SCMTR, 2018 themselves, issued vide Notification No. 38/2018-Customs (N.T.) dated 11 May 2018, and Notification No. 90/2026-Customs (N.T.) dated 1 November 2026.
The phase-wise stoppage dates (Annexure A)
Annexure A is titled "Proposal for phase-wise stoppage of erst-while export messages, mandating the CIM messages under SCMTR, 2018". The dates below are reproduced exactly as listed. If your cargo moves through a zone, the date for that zone is the date from which the old export messages stop there and CIM filing is mandated:
One reading note, stated plainly because the circular itself carries both dates: the operative paragraph says the phased discontinuation runs "till 31st January, 2027", while the last date in Annexure A is 6 January 2027. This article reports both as found. The safe planning reading is to be CIM-ready by your zone's Annexure date, and to treat 31 January 2027 as the outer end of the transition period — not as extra time to keep filing old messages in a zone whose date has passed.
Old vs new: export cargo messaging
Who must act
The circular's direction reaches every stakeholder in the export cargo chain: custodians, terminal operators and trans-shippers are named, and the direction to adopt SCMTR-compliant software and formats is addressed to all stakeholders. In practice that means exporters and their customs brokers, shipping lines and agents, custodians of export cargo, terminal operators, and any third-party software provider whose message formats feed the export chain. If your software vendor has not yet delivered SCMTR-compliant formats, that dependency is exactly the bottleneck the circular names — raise it now, against your zone's date, not after it.
For businesses, the commercial point is simple: this is a filing-format migration with a hard per-zone cutover. A shipment routed through a zone after its phase date cannot go on the old messages. Route planning, vendor readiness and staff familiarity with CIM filing all need to be complete by the zone date, not by the end of the transition period.
What to do next
- Find your zone's date in the table above and treat it as your cutover. Thiruvananthapuram goes first (16 November 2026); the big western and northern zones go last (6 January 2027).
- Confirm SCMTR-compliant software readiness with your vendor now — message formats, integration and testing — and get a written readiness date ahead of your zone's cutover.
- Run a test CIM filing before the cutover where the port supports it, so integration problems surface while the old messages still work.
- Watch for your field formation's Public Notice on the roll-out, and use the outreach sessions the circular directs formations to hold.
- Escalate system issues through the field formation to DG Systems, and policy issues to the Board — those are the two routes the circular itself provides. Do not wait for the cutover to discover a system problem.
- Do not rely on the "no penal action" assurance beyond the implementation phase. It is expressly tied to this phase; it is not a permanent relaxation.
Frequently asked questions
What is SCMTR, 2018? The Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018, issued vide Notification No. 38/2018-Customs (N.T.) dated 11 May 2018, which prescribe the cargo manifest and transhipment message framework — including CIM messages — for sea cargo.
What replaces the old export messages? CIM (Cargo Information Message) messages filed under the SCMTR, 2018 framework, using SCMTR-compliant software and message formats.
When do old export messages stop in my zone? On your zone's Annexure A date: Thiruvananthapuram 16 November 2026, Bengaluru 23 November 2026, Vishakhapatnam & Hyderabad 27 November 2026, Bhubaneshwar 1 December 2026, Trichy Preventive and Chennai 7 December 2026, Kolkata & Guwahati and Patna & Bhopal 14 December 2026, and Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai Zone – I, II, Nagpur & Pune on 6 January 2027.
What is the 31 January 2027 date? The circular states the phased discontinuation runs till 31 January 2027 — the outer end of the transition period — while the last Annexure A phase date is 6 January 2027. Both dates are as stated in the circular; plan to your zone's date.
Will there be penalties during the switch? The circular states that no penal action should be taken during this implementation phase.
Who do I approach for system problems with CIM filing? Field formations resolve system-related issues in coordination with DG Systems; policy-related issues go to the Board. Difficulties in implementation may be brought to the Board's notice.
Does this circular change import messages? No — the circular records that import and export leg messages have been deployed, but the export-side filing is what was still limited to certain ports; the phased stoppage in Annexure A concerns the erstwhile export messages.
Sources
Note: this article reports only what Circular 47/2026-Customs states. Where the circular carries two dates for the transition's end (31 January 2027 in the text, 6 January 2027 as the last Annexure date), both are reported rather than reconciled by assumption.
