The United Arab Emirates extended the deadline by one month for filing value-added tax returns and paying certain VATs, according to an April 21 KPMG post. The new deadline, May 28, will apply to VAT returns and for payment of VAT owed for the tax period that ended March 31. The original deadline was April 28.

Mauritius recently eliminated port fees for exports and extended a freight rebate scheme, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 14 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The country eliminated port fees for “all exports,” including payments for “stevedoring charges” and “shore charges” for exports laden, the HKTDC said. Mauritius also extended its freight rebate scheme to include exports to three ports in South Africa and the port of Tamatave in Madagascar, the report said. A third measure extended the country’s “Speed-to-Market Scheme,” which now provides rebates on costs of air freight for exports to African countries, Japan, Australia, Canada and the Middle East. Sectors eligible for the rebate scheme are jewelry, medical devices, fruits, flowers, vegetables, chilled fish, and textiles and apparel.

The United Arab Emirates introduced several measures to ease the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on trade and investment, according to an April 7 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The measures include a refund of 1% of the customary 5% customs duty charged to imported goods for sale in the UAE; this applies to imports between March 15 and June 30, 2020. The UAE also introduced an exemption from the regular (starting March 24) the requirement to pay a $13,600 cash deposit on customs brokering activities, the report said, and fees imposed for submitting customs documents will be reduced by 90%. A hold has been put on customs audits, and social distancing measures have been introduced in free-trade zone application processing.

The Saudi Ports Authority recently announced a new shipping lane connecting Saudi Arabia with East African countries, according to an April 8 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The lane, provided by French shipping company CMA CGM, will provide a “weekly direct service” between Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Kenya, the report said. The lane is expected to cut shipping times between Africa and Saudi Arabia by seven days by eliminating the need for cargo to first travel through European ports, which took as long as 29 days.

South Africa issued a draft bill stating which days can be counted for calculating time periods for certain customs actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 3 KPMG post. The country’s lockdown period, March 26 to April 16, “are not to be counted for purposes of calculating certain time periods that apply in respect of certain customs actions,” KPMG said, including “furnishing of documents or proof, or the submission of reports, notices or notifications.” The measure would be effective April 1.

Imports of essential goods needed to combat the spread of COVID-19 will be exempt from import taxes and value-added taxes in South Africa, according to an April 1 alert from KPMG. The changes, announced by the South African Revenue Service in late March, will also provide a “full rebate” on customs duties for imports of certain goods, including those needed for “relief of distress” of persons during a natural disaster, KPMG said. The goods include certain foods, chemicals needed for production of food products, cleaning and personal hygiene products (and chemicals needed to produce them), hand sanitizers, disinfecting soap, medical products and hospital equipment, fuel and “basic goods,” such as electricity.

Qatar will exempt food and medical equipment imports from customs duties for six months to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to an April 1 post from KPMG. The exemptions apply to 905 types of goods, including “basic food items and a number of medical devices,” KPMG said. The six-month exemption period took effect March 23.

Dubai Customs introduced several temporary measures to help ease pressure on companies impacted by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 26 KPMG post. The agency will refund 1% of the customs duty imposed on certain imported goods sold locally and exempt berthing fees for arrivals and departures for certain vessels registered at Dubai's Al Hamriyah Port between March 15 and June 30. It will also revoke the “bank or cash guarantee required to undertake customs broking activities” and will refund guarantees already submitted by brokers and clearing companies.

The Israel Ports Company completed its pilot program that allows digital transfers of bills of lading through blockchain technology, according to a March 12 news release. The process allowed greater “distribution of information” among supply chain actors, “greatly limiting the possibility of the information being penetrated and changed,” the IPC said. Electronic bills of lading will “constitute a significant step up in advanced technology” in Israel’s ports and allow for “more rapid release of cargo” while “saving time and the cost of using courier companies,” the IPC said.

Kenya is drafting a “Know Your Customer” bill to curb illegal trade and bring transparency to the country’s shipping industry through increased customer due-diligence requirements, according to a March 20 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The law, which was in response to the country’s illegal freight trade, will require importers and exporters to “identify the individuals or companies sending or receiving shipments from around the world” with the hope that increased due diligence will help curb money laundering, the report said. Know Your Customer-type laws are active in “many developed nations,” the report said, but Kenya would be the first African country to adopt such a measure.