Customs officials of India and Bangladesh discuss opening of new customs stations

The two-day 14th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting was held between India and Bangladesh in August 2023 between New Delhi customs officials of India and Bangladesh wherein a host of bilateral issues were discussed: opening new land customs stations, easing port restrictions, developing road and rail infrastructure development and pre-arrival exchange of customs data. Both countries confirmed their commitment to strengthen customs cooperation and streamline cross-border trade.

These JGC meetings are held annually between India and Bangladesh to discuss customs cooperation issues and cross-border trade facilitation as it plays a pivotal role in improving connectivity and offering smooth customs clearance at borders. As of today, there are 62 land customs stations on the India-Bangladesh border spread across West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Multiple trade facilitative measures have been held by India some of which are exports from Bangladesh to India by rail in closed containers, completing trail runs and disseminating notification for operationalizing the agreement of use of Agreement on Use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports (ACMP).

Recently, a new discussion has been initiated on the electronic connectivity of the respective transit modules for ACMP.