Penalty-free customs clearance at every Indian port
As a licensed Customs House Agent (CHA Licence No. F/0031/MUM/95), Shipmaster has been filing Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills on ICEGATE since 1995. Our team of 60+ customs professionals handles 15,000+ customs entries per year — from routine consumer goods to complex project cargo with end-use certificates.
We specialise in minimising duty outflow — correctly identifying HS codes, applying preferential tariff rates under FTAs (India-UAE CEPA, India-ASEAN, India-Japan CEPA, India-Korea CEPA), securing advance rulings and managing duty drawback and IGST refund claims.
Import clearance on ICEGATE — assessed, risk-based and facilitated
Shipping Bill & Export
Let Export Order, Carting Order, IGST refund claims and drawback
HS Code Classification
8-digit tariff classification and advance ruling applications
30+ ICD Locations
Clearance at all major sea, air and inland container depots across India
Ports & ICDs
Where we clear customs across India
Sea Ports
JNPT / Nhava Sheva
India's largest container port
Sea Ports
Mundra & Kandla
Gujarat — western gateway
Sea Ports
Chennai & Vizag
South India origins
Air Cargo
BOM · DEL · MAA
Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai airports
ICD — North
ICD Tughlakabad
Delhi — largest inland ICD
ICD — West
ICD Sanand / Ahmedabad
Gujarat manufacturing corridor
ICD — South
ICD Irugur / Coimbatore
Tamil Nadu textile exports
ICD — East
ICD Kolkata / Durgapur
Eastern India gateway
Duty Optimisation
Reduce your import duty legally and correctly
FTA Benefit Application
India has 13 active FTAs. We identify eligibility and prepare Form-A, FORM-AI, and DEEC certificates to claim concessional rates under India-UAE CEPA, ASEAN, Japan, Korea and others.
IGST Refund Claims
We file and track IGST refund claims for exporters under Shipping Bill-based refunds — ensuring maximum cash flow recovery within the shortest cycle time.
Duty Drawback
AIR (All Industry Rate) and Brand Rate drawback claims — we file all required documents and follow up with Customs until credit is received in your account.
Advance Ruling
For complex or novel products, we file advance ruling applications with the CAAR to obtain binding HS code classification — eliminating the risk of post-import disputes.
EPCG & Export Schemes
We manage applications and compliance under EPCG, Advance Authorisation and Export Oriented Unit (EOU) schemes through DGFT.
Customs Audit Support
Risk-based post-clearance audits, departmental enquiries and SIIB responses handled by our senior CHA team with 20+ years of customs litigation experience.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a Customs House Agent (CHA) and why do I need one?
A CHA (also called a Customs Broker) is a licensed professional authorised by Indian Customs to file declarations and represent importers and exporters before Customs authorities. They have expert knowledge of tariff classifications, valuation rules, and documentation — and are legally required for commercial imports and exports in India. Using a licensed CHA like Shipmaster ensures penalty-free clearance and maximum duty benefit utilisation.
How long does customs clearance take at Indian ports?
Under the Risk Management System (RMS), roughly 70% of shipments are cleared on 'facilitated' assessment without physical examination — typically within 24–48 hours after document submission. The remaining 30% may require assessment or examination, adding 2–5 days. We proactively file Pre-Import Entries (PIE) to reduce clearance time to as little as same-day at major ports.
Can you help reduce our import duty under Free Trade Agreements?
Yes. India has active FTAs with UAE (CEPA), ASEAN, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Singapore and others. We audit your HS codes, verify origin eligibility, prepare all FTA certificates and ensure compliance — often reducing Basic Customs Duty to zero or near-zero for eligible products.
What happens if customs raises a query or demand?
Our team handles the full response — preparing explanations, sourcing technical documents, and appearing before the appropriate Customs officer. For show-cause notices or departmental proceedings, our senior customs managers with 20+ years experience manage the entire response and appeal process.
Do you handle customs at ICD Tughlakabad and other inland ICDs?
Yes. We operate at 30+ ICDs and CFSs across India including ICD Tughlakabad (Delhi), ICD Sanand (Ahmedabad), ICD Irugur (Coimbatore), ICD Whitefield (Bengaluru), ICD Loni (Delhi NCR), ICD Ballabhgarh, ICD Sabarmati and many more.