Ministry of Coal introduces Coal Import Monitoring System, rationalises registration fees for CIMS portal

By enabling real-time monitoring and informed decision-making in coal imports substitution, this initiative represents a significant milestone in the Government's vision of ensuring Atmanirbhar Bharat.  

To further promote ease of doing business and ensure uniformity across import monitoring platforms, the Ministry of Coal has rationalised the registration fee of the CIMS Portal.

The registration fee has been revised to a flat rate of Rs 500 per consignment

This replaces the earlier fee structure, which ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 1,00,000 per consignment.

Plus, the rationalisation in registration fee aligns CIMS with similar Import Monitoring Systems such as the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS), Non-Ferrous Import Monitoring System (NFIMS), and Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS)—all of which operate under a flat fee model.

What is CIMS?

The Coal Import Monitoring System (CIMS) is a digital platform developed to streamline the reporting of coal imports, ensuring timely and accurate data for effective policy formulation and sectoral analysis. Coal importers are now required to register the details of their consignments in the CIMS portal on or prior to the arrival of shipments in the Port in India.

Importers are required to obtain an Automatic Registration Number from the CIMS portal, which is to be quoted in the Bill of Entry at the time of customs clearance.

The Ministry of Coal remains committed to facilitating trade, enhancing transparency, and streamlining regulatory processes to support India's growing industrial and energy needs.