Customs Rolls out Stuffing Message across India: Custodians can now File Export Cargo Details through ICEGATE [Read Circular]

The Customs Department has issued a public notice announcing the nationwide implementation of the Stuffing (SF) Message under the Sea Cargo Manifest and TranshipmentRegulations, 2018 (SCMTR), effectively enabling custodians to file export cargo details digitally through ICEGATE - the online portal that allows businesses to file documents electronically and manage customs clearance for imports and exports.

The public notice references Notification No. 61/2025–Customs (N.T.), which extended the all-India implementation of SCMTR provisions to December 31, 2025, and subsequent communications from the Directorate General of Systems & Data Management (DG S&DM) dated September 23 and October 1, 2025.

The above notification and directives outlined the phase-wise deployment of SCMTR message modules, first at two pilot sites and then across all sites in India.

Under this new system, the custodian of the cargo such as an Inland Container Depot (ICD), Container Freight Station (CFS) or Special Economic Zone (SEZ) can directly file the Stuffing (SF) Message container-wise through the ICEGATE portal, replacing the earlier requirement where stuffing reports were manually entered by Customs officers only.

Once the SF Message is approved by the jurisdictional officer, it will indicate that there is no more cargo pending for stuffing in the container.

Following stuffing, the trans-shipper must file an Allowed for Shipment Request (ASR) Message on a shipping bill basis, confirming that stuffing has been completed and no additional cargo will be loaded.

However, once the SF module goes live, the same would be auto-populated on the screen of the officer who can edit the details if required. The Customs has maintained that the existing method for entering the stuffing report would be maintained during the transition phase to ensure operational smoothness.

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This latest initiative is part of a phased national integration of SCMTR message formats, designed to automate cargo reporting and transhipment documentation across all Customs locations in India.

The pan-India implementation of the Stuffing Message module under the SCMTR, 2018 is effective from November 25, 2025.

Read the attached public notice for added clarity on the subject.

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