About Us
CCBA - Cochin Customs Brokers Association
The Cochin Customs Brokers Association (CCBA) is one of the premier Customs Brokers Associations in India, established in 1955. The Association is registered under the Cochin Registration of Literary, Scientific, and Charitable Societies Act-II of 1955, with Registration No. 4/1955, dated 1st April 1955. The objectives, Memorandum, and Articles of Association were formulated in accordance with the laws and economic conditions of that time.
Since then, several Acts and legislations enacted by the Government of India have significantly changed the role of CHAs and the CCBA, including the introduction of the Companies Act, 1956; the Customs Act, 1962; the Income Tax Act, 1961; the Custom House Agents Licensing Regulations, 2004; and the Multimodal Transportation Act, 1993, along with its Amendments Act, 2000.
The fortunes of the Cochin Port and the Cochin Custom House Agents Association have been closely linked. In its early years, the Association maintained a low profile due to the limited volume of cargo routed through Cochin Port. However, with the introduction of liberalization and the opening up of the Indian economy in the 1990s, the economic landscape changed dramatically. Cochin Port began to grow, attracting increasing volumes of cargo. The opening of Cochin International Airport in 2000 and the impending realization of the prestigious Vallarpadam Container Terminal have further accelerated export/import trade through Cochin. The Association plays a prominent role at both the seaport and the airport in Cochin.
Currently, the Association has 202 Ordinary Members and 2 Associate Members.
As per Section 24 of the Custom House Agents Licensing Regulations, 2004, it is mandatory to have an association at each Customs Station, Seaport, or Airport, and every Custom House Agent (CHA) must enroll as a member of the Custom House Agents Association. Therefore, it is clear that the Association is a statutory body recognized by the Commissioner of Customs. The Cochin Customs Brokers Association (CCBA) is a member of the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI), the apex body of all CHA Associations in India. FFFAI is affiliated with the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations and the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations, the global body of CHA Associations.
The Association's office is located in the CCBA building at the north end of W. Island, Cochin, adjacent to the Cochin Port Trust Administration building and the Custom House.
History
The Association was established on 28th March 1955 in accordance with its Memorandum, and became a formal entity with the issuance of a registration certificate by the Registrar under the Cochin Registration of Literary, Scientific, and Charitable Societies Act-II of 1955, on 1st April 1955.
The first Office Bearers and members of the Managing Committee were the following gentlemen:
Shri. K. Appu Menon - President Governing Director, M/s Pilmen Agents Ltd
Shri. P. Achutan Pillai, Hon. Secretary Proprietor, M/s Achutan Pillai & Co
Shri. A.C. Raghava Menon, Hon. Treasurer Proprietor, M/s The Mercantile & Marine Services
Shri. A.S. Thiruvenkitam, Licensed Clearing Agents
Shri. P.T. Varghese, Licensed Clearing Agents
Shri. P.K. Vijayaraman, M/s Vijaya Shipping & Clearing Agency
Shri. K.O. Antony Licensed Customs Broker
Many of the stalwarts who worked tirelessly to establish the Cochin Custom House Agents Association are no longer with us today. However, the seed they planted has grown into a significant entity, holding a unique position in the maritime history of the Port of Cochin and the southernmost part of the country. The CCBA is one of the premier CHA associations in India and has made immense contributions to the development and growth of the EXIM trade through the Port of Cochin and the airport, as well as to the overall economic development of the state of Kerala and the nation.
The name of the Association was initially "The Cochin Clearing Agents Association," but it was changed to "The Cochin Custom House Agents Association" effective 15th February 1977, taking into account the evolving export/import landscape and the Customs Act, along with its rules and regulations.
