Pakistan recently ended certain duties on a range of raw materials imported by its textile industry, including woven fabrics, artificial filament yarn and artificial staple fiber, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Oct. 28. The move, which took effect Oct. 13, will remove “regulatory” duties and “additional customs duty” on the items, which also include wool, certain animal hair and sewing thread from artificial filaments.
The Central Bank of Nigeria said it will sanction international shipping and airfreight companies for noncompliance with a 2017 directive related to bills of lading and airway bills, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 27. The directive requires all exports to carry “Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) form numbers” on their bills, the report said. Nigeria said it recently completed an audit of shipping companies that showed several businesses were not complying with the order, adding that it will impose “severe sanctions” for continued noncompliance, HKTDC reported. The country also plans to issue guidance to help industry better “verify the authenticity of NXP form numbers submitted.”
Kenya is considering imposing a higher tax for importers who transport goods by road, instead of using the country's railway servicing the route, from the Mombasa port to Nairobi, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Oct. 12. Parliament recommended increasing the levy by 0.3% for importers who do not use the standard gauge railway and providing an incentive in the form of a lower railway development levy fee rate for importers using it, the report said. The proposal comes as the Kenyan government tries to “drive income” to the railway to pay off its “large” debt on the project. But traders in Kenya continue to prefer roadways, HKTDC said. A government joint technical committee study released in February 2019 showed it costs 133.5% more to transport cargo using the rail system than by road.
The Nigerian Shippers Council ordered terminal operators to refund unauthorized transfer and storage charges on shippers and freight forwarders or “face serious sanctions,” the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Oct. 13. Shippers and freight forwarders complained to the NSC, the country’s port regulator, that they have been “arbitrarily charged levies” on container demurrage, storage and transfer by shipping firms and terminal operators for the “transport of goods to off‑dock terminals without their knowledge,” the report said. The NSC ordered port operators and other shipping agencies to “immediately” refund the charges collected since June 1 or face a “total shutdown.” Some terminals have not complied with the order, including Nigeria’s Denca Bonded Terminal, which allegedly owes more than $100,000 (in U.S. dollars) in refunds. The NSC plans to place staff at bonded terminals “to gather weekly reports on charges.” NSC issued guidance, according to the HKTDC report, indicating that “storage and demurrage fees on goods that need to be moved from seaport terminals to off‑dock terminals without the consignees’ consent should only be imposed after the goods’ arrival at the designated off‑dock terminals.”
A new port terminal under construction is expected to be completed in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, by the end of 2021, creating additional annual container capacity and improved flow of goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Oct. 20. The new terminal, Abidjan's second, will make the city the sole port in West Africa capable of handling “very large vessels,” the report said, and will feature “advanced container‑handling facilities.” The additional terminal is expected to “reduce cargo handling costs,” increase “trade growth” and “significantly alter the dynamics of trade in the West African region.” Abidjan hopes the port becomes the “preferred gateway” for neighboring landlocked countries and a “transshipment destination for surrounding coastal countries,” HKTDC said.
As it prepares to launch an official online portal, Nigeria recently issued guidance for exporters participating in its export expansion grant scheme, KPMG said in an Oct. 16 post. Exporters must submit their “baseline data and application claim” covering exports in 2019 and 2020 by Nov. 20, Nigeria said. The 30-day timeline, which started Oct. 19, “may not be sufficient time” for some, KPMG said, especially because some exporters “may not have finalised the statutory audit of their 2019 accounts” due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. KPMG said it is “not yet known” whether Nigeria will extend the submission timeline.
Turkey recently announced new procedures involving imports of dual-use items and technologies related to weapons of mass destruction, Herdem, an Istanbul-based law firm, said in an Oct. 13 post. Turkey’s trade ministry will approve all certificates of import and end-use requests submitted “from the importer by the exporting country,” the post said. Certificates will be valid for six months without an extension, it said. Turkey will also require a “permit letter” if the goods are transferred to a third country.
More than 60% of the total customs transactions in Dubai through the first half of this year took place through the authorized economic operator program, the United Arab Emirates city said Oct. 4. It said the program has played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for companies involved in importing food and medical supplies. Companies participating in the AEO program reported faster customs clearance and a “boost” to their “external trade,” Dubai Customs said. “The AEO program has significantly sped up trade transactions and supported the local supply chain,” said Eman Badr Al-Suwaidy, the director of Dubai’s Customs Valuation Department and head of the Dubai Customs AEO Program. “This is clearly manifested in the increased number of customs transactions carried out through the program.”
Saudi Arabian Logistics earlier this month began managing customs security operations for most airports in Saudi Arabia, a move intended to improve customs efficiency, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Sept. 28. While Saudi’s customs authority will still manage supervision services, SAL will provide “specialised logistics and ground‑handling services” that may reduce times for imports, cargo clearance, security clearances and expand the country’s storage capacity, the HKTDC said. The change is part of Saudi Arabia’s goal of becoming a “leading global logistics” center.
South African imports of wheat and wheat products are expected to drop by 20% next marketing year, which begins Oct. 1, due to an increase in domestic production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Sept. 21. The country will likely import 1.6 million tons of wheat next marketing year, down from the “expected” 2 million tons in the current marketing year. Favorable growing conditions are expected to improve the domestic production to 2 million tons. The drop in imports could affect wheat shipments from Poland, Russia, Germany and Lithuania, all of which have been the “major exporters” of wheat to South Africa this year. The U.S. has been the six-largest exporter of wheat to South Africa this marketing year (Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020), at 58,075 tons.