Ethiopia recently approved a new law that encourages foreign direct investment, seeking to “open” more of its sectors unless “specifically forbidden” on a negative list, according to a Feb. 21 post from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The changes aim to promote foreign investment in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors while encouraging investment in “emerging industries,” the report said. The change comes as several countries are amending their foreign investment review regimes, including the U.S. (see 2001140060), which is pushing for more stringent global controls on investment (see 2002260042).
Morocco issued the second tender of 2020 to import more than 350,000 metric tons of durum wheat from the U.S. under its tariff rate quota, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Feb. 21. Auction results for the imports will be announced March 5, the USDA said, and deliveries must arrive by May 31.
Ghana will soon introduce its new electronic customs clearance system on a trial basis at its Takoradi Port, one of the country’s two major ports, before a national rollout, according to a Feb. 18 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The new UNIPASS system will replace the existing single window system and will provide a “one-stop platform” for all customs procedures, the HKTDC said. The platform will also integrate all government entities, which will allow for efficient information sharing between the customs authority, agencies and other stakeholders. The system is expected to cut the country’s customs clearance processing time from two days to a “few hours,” the HKTDC said, with “real-time tracking” of cargo. But the HKTDC said the platform has faced delays -- the system was originally scheduled for launch in January 2019, then rescheduled to January 2020.
All goods imported into Oman will now be checked for “quality and standards compliance” before entering the market, according to a Feb. 18 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The change, announced Feb. 2, is aimed at improving the quality of the country’s imported goods, specifically electrical products, cosmetics and building materials, the HKTDC said. Oman also stopped accepting paper applications for customs clearance beginning Feb. 7. All applications must be made through its single window online platform Bayan, the HKTDC said.
Saudi Arabia’s customs authority launched a six-month window for importers to voluntarily correct past customs declarations without penalties, according to a Feb. 12 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The window, which began Jan. 1, is intended to help Saudi Arabia identify inaccurate customs information, such as under-declared import values, inaccurate freight charges, misclassification of goods and more. Importers are only eligible for the program if they have not already been chosen for a customs audit, the report said.
Kenya recently introduced a bill that would require all customs agents and freight forwarders to undergo professional customs training, according to a Feb. 4 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The bill, introduced Jan. 21, aims to improve professionalism within the trade industry, increase compliance with the country’s customs regulations, reduce cargo delays at ports, improve revenue collection and lower costs of business, the report said. The HKTDC said the “lack of expertise in customs clearance” has become a “growing problem for the country,” and the bill is likely to become law before 2021. The U.S. and Kenya recently agreed to begin trade negotiations, and the Kenyan president said the country is committed to ending corruption and providing a more efficient trading environment for U.S. companies (see 2002060071).
Egypt recently established a new state entity within the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for granting label certifications, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Feb. 3. The agency, ISEGHALAL, was established Jan. 5 and “legitimizes” Egypt’s sole authorized halal certification entity in the U.S., IS EG Halal in New Jersey, which certifies U.S. food and beverages being exported to Egypt.
Mauritius has imposed a temporary ban on imports of live animals, live fish and products of animal origin from China, it said in a press release. Implemented Feb. 3 in response to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the ban covers live animals and fish; chilled, frozen and dried seafood including fish products such as fish and oyster sauce; chilled, frozen and dried meat; wool; animal hair/bristles; and animal feed including fish feed.
Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade issued 1,000 cryptocurrency mining permits to increase the use of digital currency within Iran’s economy, according to an unofficial translation of a February report from Ibena, an Iranian news agency. The move was intended to allow Iran to “import goods and circumvent the problems of bank sanctions for payments,” a member of Iran’s Blockchain Commission of the Computer Trade Union Organization told Ibena. The report said the move, which is aimed at avoiding U.S. sanctions, could “boost the industry and its revenues.”
Israel will conduct individual customs screening on all imported packages sent through the Israel Postal Company valued at more than $75, beginning Feb. 15, according to a Feb. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The screening process will be similar to the screening procedures required for imports to private courier companies, the report said. The move was made in response to a petition from Israeli business and trade organizations, which said private firms are unfairly subjected to import requirements not applied to the postal service. Private firms are required to declare the values of their imports while the country’s postal service was only required to “declare the value based on its samplings of imported items,” the report said. While the postal agency has been working “for some time” on the change with Israeli customs agencies, the “tight deadline” will likely be a “serious challenge” for the postal service, which is “already struggling to keep pace with delivery schedules,” the HKTDC said. The postal service may need to outsource some of its operations to the private sector, the report said, which could lead to increased delivery costs for foreign online vendors.