DUBAI - To keep abreast of developments affecting Dubai’s foreign trade movement with various countries of the world, Dubai Customs issued updated customs policies that secure the flow of trade and facilitates shipments and goods and their access to commercial markets without delay.

Tariff and Origin Department has released eight major customs policies between January 2020 and April 2022 on customs measures related to passengers’ disclosure about currencies, negotiable financial instruments, precious metals and precious stones. Another customs policy was rolled out on the controls of free trade agreement with Singapore.

The customs policies issued during this period dealt with the procedures for proving the certificate of origin, and resolving related disputes to ensure that the origin of commercial goods is determined for applying non-preferential and preferential treatment for goods of origin of countries with which the country has free trade agreements.

In addition, the department issued a customs policy to cover the conditions and controls of trade exchange and establishment of an Arab free trade zone. The policy will help facilitate the implementation of this agreement.

Tariff and Origin Department has also released a customs policy on the conditions and controls for the Application of the Free Trade Agreement with the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The policies also included the procedures for applying the TIR Carnet, which defines the procedures followed in dealing with land-transported trade in accordance with the TIR arrangements.

Ahmed Al Khrousi, Director of Tariff and Origin Department, said, "These customs policies issued by the Tariff and Origin Department aim at the first place to facilitate trade by defining controls and procedures applied at Dubai Customs to implement customs measures related to trade agreements with member states that have agreements with the GCC countries. Our policies also cover the measures to apply certain controls for disclosure and facilitation of customs transactions for traders and investors."

Al Khrousi added, "We follow the world’s best standards in developing and releasing our customs policies in order to maintain Dubai Customs’ leading position globally."