The Kenya Ports Authority again extended the free storage period for containers at its ports to aid the shipping industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The free storage period -- which was introduced in May 2020, renewed in December (see 2012290007) and expired in March -- was again renewed in April for three months, the port authority said in a notice. The notice contains information on the free period days for domestic import and export containers and transit import and export containers. The authority said it may consider more renewals.
Pakistan will waive duties on cotton yarn imports until June 30 to help the country’s cotton industry, which has been damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said May 6. The move is aimed at ensuring a “smooth supply” of cotton to the industry to reduce the gap between local production and demand, HKTDC said. The duty elimination comes as Pakistan continues to ban cotton imports from India over a border dispute.
Egyptian customs authorities will use CargoX, a new online document transfer platform, to provide shipping lines and port operators with “real-time information” on incoming goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 3. Shippers will also be required to submit certain information in the country’s Advance Cargo Information (ACI) System beginning July 1, including “key data” about imports, a list of the cargo and more. HKTDC said Egypt is “one of the first in the world” to establish a digital ACI system using blockchain technology, which has been in a pilot phase since April 1.
Dubai is exempting certain service fees for customs deposit refund claims submitted by companies in free zones, KPMG said in an April 27 post. Dubai Customs issued a guidance, that went into effect April 1, exempting free zone companies from paying service fees for “claims of the customs deposit refund for goods valued at less” than about $815 for certain declarations, KPMG said. Those declarations include “free zone transit-out declarations” and “transit between Dubai-based free zones declaration.” Service fees continue to apply to goods valued at more than $815.
South Africa recently announced plans to review its tariff structure for poultry as part of a broader plan to reduce imports and support its local poultry industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported April 22. In its review, South Africa will consider introducing “specific” rather than ad valorem duties, simplifying its tariff structure by reducing the number of tariff lines and imposing specific anti-dumping measures. Although the South African government and industry have “rallied” behind the plan, not all are convinced the strategy will solve the “structural” issues within the country’s poultry sector, USDA said. Despite recent measures to raise import duties on poultry products and impose antidumping duties on several trading partners, USDA said South African poultry producers “haven’t been able to produce enough poultry that will be sufficient to supplement imports and meet all the domestic demand.”
Truck waiting times at a major trade transport route connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to be reduced by 90% due to a new digital system, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 13. The King Fahd Causeway will roll out its new truck management system in May, which will allow trucks to book appointments with customs authorities in both countries to help exports and imports flow better. The new system is part of a broader set of Bahrain measures to expand trade after the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said, including a second bridge linking it to Saudi Arabia and automated data collection for its customs authority.
The United Arab Emirates launched a new system for issuing export verification reports that will allow value-added tax refunds for cleared export declarations, KPMG reported April 8. The UAE and Dubai Customs, under the new process, will be able to generate a consolidated export verification report for all importers operating under a single tax registration and associated with multiple business codes.
Saudi Arabia recently introduced regulations for a special economic zone that will provide customs and tax exemptions for certain imported goods, KPMG said in an April 5 post. The zone, near the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, will exempt traders from paying duties on imports until the goods are moved into mainland Saudi Arabia for domestic consumption, KPMG said. The exemption also applies to value-added taxes on supplies and transactions occurring “with respect to goods” in the zone. Companies operating in the zone will have to submit an annual certification of compliance and keep records of their activities and transactions.
Egypt now requires “pre-shipment registration” under a new single window system as part of an effort to modernize customs procedures and reduce clearance times, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported March 29. The decree will require consignment documents at ports of entry to be submitted through the single window 48 hours before the arrival of the goods, USDA said. The country’s new single window system was scheduled to launch April 1 and is expected to reach “full implementation” by July 1.
Saudi Arabia recently announced plans to defer customs duties on imports for up to 21 days, a March 29 KPMG blog post reported. The initiative, which took effect March 15, is intended to incentivize investment in the country and “encourage new entrants to the market,” the post said. The initiative is for “postponement of import taxes for a period of up to 21 days following the date of the clearance of the goods for home consumption in the Saudi market.” KPMG also said that Saudi Arabia on July 1 will begin requiring suppliers and manufacturers to obtain a national certificate of conformity for “electro-technical equipment and components” before those goods can enter the country. Such goods include “electrical cooking utensils (such as water boilers, all coffee-making devices), electric oil fryers, certain small electric pumps, electric power cables, and game devices and their accessories.”