Morocco’s customs agency recently began requiring additional documents from U.S. beef exporters to ensure they are meeting terms outlined in the U.S.-Morocco free trade deal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Feb. 23. Morocco is asking exporters to submit a “self-attestation” that their shipments meet the value requirements contained in the deal’s rules of origin provisions, including that the “direct cost of processing operations is not less than 35 percent of the appraised value of the exported beef and beef products.”
Abu Dhabi’s customs agency introduced an automated system Feb. 10 for managing customs inspections, which will be used to monitor 15 border points in the United Arab Emirates, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 23. The new system -- which will allow for inspections of cargo, luggage, customs fees and safety compliance measures -- will be implemented at various airports, land ports and seaports. It is designed to minimize “inspection procedures’ negative impact on trade and travel,” the report said.
Saudi Arabia will stop contracting with any foreign company that has its regional headquarters outside the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency said Feb. 17. The new regulation will take effect Jan. 1, 2024, and includes agencies, institutions and government-owned funds. The move was made as part of the Riyadh 2030 initiative and comes on the heels of the Future Investment Initiative forum held in Riyadh in January. SPA said 24 international companies announced their intent to move their regional headquarters to the capital at the FII forum, coming into compliance with the new regulation.
Dubai Customs issued a notice exempting a new list of goods in the free trade agreement between the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries and the European Free Trade Association states. EFTA comprises EU member states Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Pursuant to the FTA, the list of goods falling under “Category B” were subject to duties for the first five years of the agreement but made exempt on the first day of the sixth year, July 1, 2021. The list of goods includes food items (pasta, macaroni, and French fries), cereal products, bakery products, coffee and tea products, sauces including ketchup, soy sauce and mayonnaise, food supplements, mineral water and beverages, bamboo, softening agents and glue.
The Israeli Tax Authority recently issued a directive outlining stricter provisions regarding submitting import declarations for importing returned exported goods, Herzog Fox posted Feb. 16. The provisions allow for exemptions of those goods from certain purchase taxes and value-added taxes if they didn’t “undergo any processing abroad and meet certain additional conditions,” the law firm said. If the goods were processed abroad, import duties will apply to only the value of the processing performed abroad. Importers must declare the export declaration number when submitting a declaration for the returned exported goods, although there are several exceptions, the post said. To comply with the new requirements, companies will need to “track the path of the goods” from export to returned for import, the firm said, adding that the “directive may impede or even prevent the return of goods exported from Israel,” especially when importing damaged components of machines and when returning a “large quantity of components” that were exported separately.
Although South Africa partially lifted a ban Feb. 1 on the domestic transportation and sale of alcoholic drinks, the future of alcohol trade with the country remains uncertain, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Feb. 10. South Africa has implemented three alcohol bans since March, allowing the domestic industry to export liquor but restricting imports. It remains unclear how the government will handle future alcohol bans, which could affect U.S. exports to the country, USDA said. U.S. exports to South Africa fell by 46% in 2020 and “may worsen” if the ban continues this year.
The United Arab Emirates updated its tariff schedule after adopting amendments made to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unified Customs Tariff that passed on Oct. 25, 2020. In a Jan. 21 customs notice, Dubai Customs said the amendments were implemented effective Jan. 1. The UAE modified the description column of two tariff codes, created four new tariff headings and made 65 changes to existing tariff subheadings, KPMG said Feb. 8. The affected commodities are tobacco-related products; electronic products; cocoa powder and other instant preparation drinks with added sugar or sweetener; water, milk and cocoa beverages with added sugar or sweetener; and miscellaneous chemical products.
Ethiopia launched an online trade registration and licensing system to better help foreign businesses apply for licensing services, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 8. The system, launched Jan. 30, is expected to speed up registration and trade certification processes and boost Ethiopia’s trade competitiveness, the report said. Foreign companies need to register at etrade.gov.et to request, renew, amend, replace and cancel licenses, the HKTDC said.
Nigeria recently issued guidance for exporters shipping to countries within the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 28. It details various export requirements, including those regarding permits, licenses, certificates and other documents necessary within the AfCFTA, whose members began trading Jan. 1. Exporters and agents need to apply to the Nigeria Customs Service for an AfCFTA certificate of origin once the required fees are paid. Along with a bill of entry and a certificate of origin for shipments, exporters also are required to include a bill of lading, a certificate of analysis, a packing list and a commercial invoice, the HKTDC said.
The United Arab Emirates recently reinstated its requirement to submit customs declarations after it waived the requirement last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Jan. 29 KPMG post. The requirement was officially reinstated Jan. 31, KPMG said, and businesses will have to submit customs documents to Dubai Customs “within 14 days of processing of the customs declaration on the Mirsal2 portal.”