Beat the May 15 LC Deadline, Still Hit With the 50% Surcharge — Fair?

Importers who opened Letters of Credit before May 15, 2026 thought they'd dodged the 50% customs surcharge on vehicle imports. But Customs has now made clear that if the shipped-on-board date on your Bill of Lading falls after November 15, 2026, the surcharge applies anyway — even with an old LC. Some importers blame shipping lines and port congestion in Japan for late loading, not their own planning. Others say the government drew a clear line months ago and anyone shipping late only has themselves to blame for not booking space early enough. If you're mid-import right now, this could turn a straightforward order into a 15-point jump in duty overnight, which on a mid-range car can mean paying several hundred thousand rupees more than you budgeted for. Does this feel like the rules changing under your feet, or is five months enough warning for anyone serious about shipping on time? මැයි 15ට කලින් LC ගත්තත්, නොවැම්බර් 15ට පස්සේ නැව් ගියොත් 50% බද්ද ගෙවන්න වෙනවා - ඔබට මේක සාධාරණද?