Customs Authority prevents importers from storing staple goods outside the port before customs clearance

Importers will no longer be allowed to store their shipments of staple goods — including wheat, sugar, corn, and rice among others — outside official port facilities until they’ve cleared them from customs and paid the levy in full, Al Borsa says. The decision also extends to goods that are exempt from import tariffs and the value-added tax, and comes as part of the Customs Authority’s efforts to curb tariff evasion. Importers had previously been allowed to store their cargo in outside facilities for up to nine months without clearing them from customs, which left much room for problems, officials tell the newspaper.