Nigeria recently launched a “port operations process manual” to boost port efficiency and tackle corruption, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 28. The manual is aimed at addressing “corruption risk assessment” at Nigerian ports and to increase “accountability.” Success will depend on whether industry stakeholders “take the new manual on board and assess its efficiency, so that the document can subsequently be revised when issues and developments arise,” HKTDC said.
The Kenya Ports Authority recently extended the free storage period for containers at its ports, to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shipping industry, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 24. The free storage period was introduced in May and scheduled to end in November before being renewed Dec. 14 to extend from Dec. 10 for “either three or six months, depending on location,” the HKTDC said. Kenya also increased the length of free storage time, which varies by port, many for 14 days rather than nine.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa recently launched the African Trade Exchange (ATEX), a trade platform designed to facilitate trade when the African Continental Free Trade Area begins in 2021 (see 2004290042), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 7. ATEX will be a business-to-business “e‑commerce platform,” the report said, and will give companies access to “high quality products from verified African suppliers in an efficient way.” ATEX buyers and sellers will also be able to use the platform to search for new supply chain partners, review “specifications and pricing” for products, and make payments and arrange “logistical services.”
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers recently issued new standards to counter illegal imports and make importing into Kenya more efficient, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 11. The standard operating procedures guide will serve as a “reference” for all Kenyan government bodies involved in “ensuring efficiency and accountability in the inspection, verification and clearance” of imports, and is relevant for freight consolidators, clearing agents, importers and trade groups.
The Egyptian Cabinet recently approved a draft bill that exempts importers from paying value-added taxes on shipping costs for certain “key commodities,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Dec. 9. The bill is expected to remove taxes paid on freight costs for “grains, legumes, table salt and spices,” FAS said, ensuring a “sustainable supply of commodities to the Egyptian market without any disruptions.”
Kenya is expected to begin a new sea cargo clearance system this month, which will accelerate clearance times at the Mombasa port, according to a Dec. 2 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The new system will allow for “automated online cargo clearance processing and documentation” submissions, HKTDC said, cutting processing times by as much as 60% “when fully implemented.” It will also allow goods to travel more quickly to their final destination by providing real-time tracking of the cargo once it leaves the port. The report also said “accidental cases of cargo diversion” should “become a thing of the past.”
South Africa has issued a directive aimed at curtailing illegal trading by introducing a required “authentication process” for certain customs release notifications, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 4. The directive, meant to prevent the undervaluing of clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) goods, will require container operators and other “release authorities” to email copies of customs release notifications to the South African Revenue Service. SARS officers will check the notifications, confirm their authenticity and decide whether “release should be granted to the importer,” the report said. The authentication process will apply only to manually detained CTFL goods. The directive took effect Nov. 16.
Pakistan will continue through June 30, 2021, duty exemptions on imported items used to treat COVID-19, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 1. The exemptions cover 61 items, including coronavirus tests, surgical masks, face shields, gloves, certain ventilators, ultrasound machines, intensive care beds and defibrillators, the report said. The exemptions are retroactive to Oct. 1 and extend some exemptions first adopted in March.
Morocco will increase the tariff rate on chocolate imports by more than 20 percentage points next year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a Nov. 19 report. The measure, approved by Morocco this month, will increase tariffs on imported chocolate and food preparations containing cocoa from 17.5% to 40% starting Jan. 1, the report said. U.S. chocolate products will remain duty-free under the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. The USDA said Morocco mainly imports chocolate from Europe, Egypt, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
Egypt recently imposed a value-added tax on freights for agricultural commodities, which could disrupt certain U.S. exports, the Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Nov. 16. The VAT, which took effect without prior notice on Aug. 1, could hurt U.S. exports of soybeans, corn and corn byproducts to Egypt and will put U.S. exports at a “competitive disadvantage” in the Egyptian market. The VAT could also “potentially jeopardize the reliable, affordable supply of food, feed and agricultural products for producers and consumers” in Egypt. The VAT applies a 14% tax on “advanced freight services” for certain agricultural commodities.