Customs Bond License in Bangladesh

As per Customs Act, 1969, 100% export oriented businesses are eligible to get bond facilities. Bond facilities were present from the early year of Customs act enactment. Initially, Bond benefits were monitored by the concern Custom Houses. Then one company has to go all Custom Houses through which he import or export. It was a very complex work for the reconciliation of import and export quantities. To avoid such situation and encouraging export businesses, in November 2000, the Customs Bond Commissionerate started is journey. There are different types of Bond Licenses issued by this office for facilitating exporters. Now most of the 100% export industries are running under direct supervision of Bond Commissionerate.

Customs Bond Commissionerate:

Chittagong is the second Bond Commissionerate of Bangladesh. The activities of the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Regional Office of Chittagong started on 25/03/2001 AD. The country’s largest industrial city, Chittagong, was transformed into a full-fledged commissionerate in August 2011 in response to the long-standing needs of the business community. The Government of Bangladesh provides bonded warehouse facilities to exporters to earn foreign exchange, expedite exports and increase international trade.

Activities relating to Customs Bonded Warehouses are conducted under Section 13 of the Customs Act, 1989 and Sections 74-119. Circulars, Office Orders, Standing Orders and Orders issued by the Commissioner of Customs Bonds issued at various times by the National Board of Revenue for the management of Customs Ware House are equally applicable to the law and rules.

The Customs Bond Commissionerate :

The Customs Bond Commissionerate has two offices, namely- (1) Customs Bond Commissionerate, 342/1, Segunbagicha, Ramna, Dhaka and (2) Customs Bond Commissionerate, 42, M. M. Ali Road, Lalkhan Bazar, Chittagong. In other cases, the respective Custom House or VAT Commissionerate controls the Bonded Ware House under their jurisdiction.

Types of Bonded Wire Houses:

There are basically two types of bonded warehouses depending on the type of raw material used, the purpose of use and the type of export. Namely: 

(i) Special Bonded Warehouse (SBW) Special Bonded Warehouse License is issued in favor of 100% export oriented garment industry organization. These include oven garments, knit garments and sweaters.

(ii) General Bonded Wirehouse (GBW) General Bonded Wirehouse License is issued to 100% (100%) export oriented industrial establishments except for export oriented garment industry establishments. There are 7 (seven) types of establishments in General Bonded Ware House. E.g. (100%) export oriented latent exporters (manufacturing or accessories industry of packing / cartoon, level, polybag, hanger, zipper, button, padding etc.

  1. 100% export oriented tanneries and tanneries;
  2. 100% export oriented shipbuilding industry;
  3. Home Consumption Bonded Wire House;
  4. Diplomatic bonds;
  5. Bond institutions of the Export Processing Zones (IACs) and
  6. One hundred percent export-oriented covert to covert export-oriented organization.

Bonded Wire House Management:

The Customs Bond Commissionerate performs the following functions in the management of bonded warehouses. E.g.

  1. Bond license issue
  2. Renewal of 100% export oriented latent bond license
  3. Auto renewal of 100% export oriented garment and net garment bond license
  4. Change of ownership of the bond license
  5. Approval of factory relocation application
  6. Execution of General Bonds
  7. Annual audit
  8. Permanent inter-bond transfer
  9. No Objection Letter for Unloading Imported Goods (If General Bond is not valid)
  10. Bank Guarantee Release (in case of latent exporter)
  11. Bank Guarantee Release (in case of Direct Exporter)
  12. Issuance of bond license in new format
  13. Lien Bank Additions