GCC Raises Penalties for Counterfeit Imports
The Gulf Cooperation Council recently amended its customs laws to better combat imported counterfeit goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 30. The council, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will now treat counterfeit goods as “smuggled” goods, and traders could face fines of up to double or triple the customs duty or tax on the goods, whichever is higher, HKTDC said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
The customs law was also changed to allow duty exemptions for certain goods, including those imported by people with “special needs and concerned government agencies,” agencies caring for people with special needs, goods required by charitable organizations and “relief goods.” The exemptions may also apply to “incoming personal mail and parcels.”