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.

Egypt recently passed a bill that will simplify customs procedures by reducing costs and the time it takes to release cargo, according to a Sept. 18 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The bill, which must first be signed by the Egyptian president before becoming law, would create an electronic cargo tracking system and a “risk management system,” and improve settlements for customs disputes by allowing “tariff payers” to file appeals before heading to arbitration. The bill would also introduce duty exemptions for medical supplies imported by government and university hospitals, and create a temporary customs warehouse system to store goods at entry points and prevent backlogs. Other provisions will help certain importers more easily pay customs fees, reduce clearance times for certain items and establish a ceiling for service fees payable to the country’s customs authority.

Nigeria will stop collecting container deposit fees from importers by the end of the first quarter of 2021, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 25. The Nigerian Shippers Council is in talks with the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria to include the fee with “marine insurance offerings.” Nigerian importers pay more than $4.45 million (U.S. dollar value) annually in container deposits, which has “increased the financial burden” on them and led to a higher cost of doing business, the report said. They can collect a full or partial refund only after the container is returned to an authorized redemption center.

The United Arab Emirates tax authority issued a guidance clarifying the value-added tax treatment of e-commerce sales, KPMG posted Aug. 26. The guidance explains “place-of-supply rules,” VAT collection measures and requirements for exports eligible for zero VAT rates, KPMG said. The exporter must retain a certificate issued by UAE customs “or a similar document evidencing the export.” If the exporter cannot provide that document, “the application of the zero VAT rate could be challenged by the tax authorities,” KPMG said. Companies that cannot provide the document can apply for an “administrative exception for alternative export documentation.”

Dubai Customs will soon introduce an artificial intelligence-driven security system at ports to protect against illegal or “hazardous” shipments, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 18. The system, announced Aug. 5, will include surveillance cameras, “state-of-the-art inspection technologies,” drones, “round‑the‑clock rapid intervention teams” and a “security vessel” that can track and take “control of ships before they reach port,” the report said. The system is aimed at boosting trade by improving the flow of “legitimate goods” into Dubai, the HKTDC said. Officials expect to implement the technologies at all ports within the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Customs reported that in 2019, customs authorities seized close to 4,450 illegal shipments entering at its ports.

Three African economic blocs recently adopted guidelines to decrease supply chain disruption and improve trade and transport services to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an Aug. 11 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The guidelines -- adopted by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community -- will give priority to the movements of agricultural, hygiene, medical and fuel products, the HKTDC said. The measures will also standardize screening and testing requirements for drivers at border checkpoints and encourage member states to waive port and border handling fees for essential goods. The guidelines are meant to harmonize procedures among the member states of the three economic blocs, which each have their own “distinct” set of regulations, and in some cases, membership in more than one bloc, the report said.

The United Arab Emirates revised its list of export controls to reflect changes agreed to during meetings at multilateral control bodies, including the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group, a UAE government June notice and a July 30 EU Sanctions post said. The UAE placed controls on a range of dual-use goods, the post said, including technologies for “nuclear materials, sensors, avionics, navigation systems and telecommunication systems.” The controls also apply to military and riot control vehicles, marine systems and “unmanned conversion kits.”