DGFT allows NFMIMS registration for copper and aluminium imports any time before Customs Out-of-Charge
Copper and aluminium importers no longer have to complete NFMIMS registration before consignment arrival — they may now register any time before the Customs Out-of-Charge order, but must still hold a valid Registration Number by then
Change
On 30 June 2026 the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) amended Chapter 74 (Policy Condition 3(c)) and Chapter 76 (Policy Condition 1(c)) of the ITC(HS) 2022, with immediate effect, to require Non-Ferrous Metal Import Monitoring System (NFMIMS) registration for copper and aluminium imports before final Customs clearance / 'Out of Charge' rather than before consignment arrival.
Why it matters
The pre-arrival deadline for NFMIMS registration is removed: importers of copper (Annexure-I) and aluminium (Annexure-II) items may now obtain the automatic Registration Number at any point up to the Customs 'Out of Charge' order, the final clearance permitting removal of goods from the Customs area, instead of before the consignment arrives. The other parameters are unchanged — registration may be applied for no earlier than the 60th day before the expected date of arrival, the fee is per Appendix 2K, and the Registration Number stays valid for 75 days. The change eases the compliance window but does not remove the underlying requirement to hold a valid NFMIMS Registration Number before Out-of-Charge.
Implications
- — Copper and aluminium importers using NFMIMS are no longer bound by the pre-arrival registration deadline — they may obtain the automatic Registration Number any time before the Customs 'Out of Charge' order, giving a longer window to complete registration without holding up the consignment.
- — Copper and aluminium importers must still obtain a valid NFMIMS Registration Number before the 'Out of Charge' order is issued — the requirement itself is retained, so goods cannot receive final Customs clearance without registration, and the number remains valid for 75 days from grant.
- — Customs-broker and import-compliance teams handling Chapter 74/75 non-ferrous consignments should update clearance workflows to check that the NFMIMS Registration Number is secured by the Out-of-Charge stage rather than pre-arrival, applying the amendment from its immediate effective date of 30 June 2026.
Who is affected
- — Copper importers filing NFMIMS Annexure-I registrations
- — Aluminium importers filing NFMIMS Annexure-II registrations
- — Customs-broker and import-compliance teams handling non-ferrous metal consignments