Saudi Arabia recently announced new customs duty exemptions for certain imports, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Oct. 7. Saudi Arabia will exempt duties on all imported “personal shipments” worth less than $267, including the shipping charges, and will impose a standard 15% value-added tax rate on all imports “of greater values,” HKTDC said. The country also clarified some shipping obligations by saying the transport carrier is responsible for shipment and customs clearance, “but the customer must communicate with the carrier to complete the shipment clearance procedures.” The carrier’s customs broker must prepare the declaration and is required to “provide the customer with a copy of the customs declaration showing all duties and taxes imposed,” the report said.
Egypt’s new Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system (see 2106210004 and 2107280006), which is expected to significantly reduce cargo processing times, became mandatory Oct. 1, the country’s finance ministry said, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said the system will “expand the advance customs release of goods before their arrival at ports.” Carriers will be required to validate all ACI-related information “prior to loading from the first load port,” Maersk said in an Oct. 1 advisory. The company warned that shipping instructions will be rejected if certain information is missing.
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.
Venezuela has struck a deal with Iran to swap its heavy oil for Iranian condensate that can be used to up the quality of the country's tar-like crude oil, Reuters reported Sept. 25. The first shipments are expected this week, five people close to the deal said, according to Reuters. The deal, signed between the state-run companies Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. and National Iranian Oil Co., seeks to skirt U.S. sanctions for both nations. The swap is scheduled to last six months but could be extended, the report said. The Treasury Department told Reuters the U.S. can impose “secondary sanctions” against non-U.S. individuals or entities that carry out transactions with either of the oil companies. Secondary sanctions can include freezing a given party out of the U.S. financial system, fines or asset freezes.
Saudi Arabia officially completed the merger of its tax and customs authorities this month (see 2105120005), a move intended to improve customs procedures and trade exchanges, KPMG said Sept. 22. The new Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority is now “one umbrella authority,” organizationally still under the Ministry of Finance, KPMG said, and is expected to save traders time and money.
South Africa is conducting a cargo-related pilot test on its ePenalty system, which identifies and penalizes reporting noncompliance among carriers and freight forwarders, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 10. The pilot, which is active Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, will focus on submissions on “advance‑cargo reports” for air and sea imports and rail exports. HKTDC said cargo reporters won’t be penalized during the pilot period but are “urged to submit the correct cargo reports and electronic conveyances on time.”
Israel recently opened a new port terminal at Haifa Bay that is expected to allow larger cargo ships and reduce shipping costs and waiting times, Reuters reported Sept. 2. The terminal will be privately operated by China-based and government-owned Shanghai International Port Group, which has raised some security concerns in Israel and abroad, The Times of Israelreported Sept. 2. Despite the concerns, Israel hopes the port upgrade boosts its shipping competitiveness, decreases import costs and bolsters trade through the Haifa port, one of the country’s busiest shipping hubs, the report said.
South Africa recently revised its rules on client accreditation for Authorized Economic Operators, which will have implications for exporters and importers operating as AEOs, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 7. The new rules establish two “status levels” for accredited AEO clients. Level 1 traders will benefit from “fewer documentary and physical inspections,” expedited inspections, priority tariff and valuation-determination requests and more; Level 2 operators are eligible for all Level 1 benefits plus additional ones, including “priority applications,” certain fee exemptions and customs supervision exemptions. South Africa’s Accreditation Committee will consider applicants, which must undergo an “assessment to check customs laws and procedures competency,” HKTDC said. Approved applicants will be issued a certificate valid for five years.
Zimbabwe licensed 57 foreign and local entities to grow medicinal cannabis and help tap the export market for the product, the country's investment group, Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency said, Bloomberg reported. ZIDA said production has already kicked off at some of the licensed farms, and the Ministry of Lands is working with ZIDA along with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe to ensure the quality of the seeds meets regulatory requirements. Zimbabwe legalized medicinal cannabis in 2018 but has failed to ship the cannabis outside the country, Bloomberg said. “We have licensed 57 investors for medicinal cannabis production from Germany, Switzerland, Canada and as well some local players,” the agency said. “Companies have been licensed for cultivation and processing of medicinal cannabis and they own 100% of their investment.”
Egypt recently renewed a decision that extended the shelf-life validity period for imported frozen fish and beef liver, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Aug. 30. The measure extended the shelf-life period of frozen fish from six to nine months and frozen beef liver from seven to 10 months, USDA said. The new measure is valid for six months or until Dec. 31. The shelf-life extension was first announced in April 2020 in a bid by the government to increase food supplies and facilitate trade amid the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA said.