Customs AGCC exemption

According to the AGCC Unified Economic Agreement drawn up in June 1981, products originating in any AGCC state are exempted from customs duty (and other charges having an equivalent effect) in any other AGCC state. However, to qualify as national products, the value added ensuing from their production in member states must not be less than 40 per cent of their final value, and the factory must be licensed by the Ministry of Finance and Industry.

In addition, the share of the member-state citizens in the ownership of the producing plant must not be less than 51 per cent. Exemption claims must be accompanied by a certificate of origin of the item(s), duly authenticated by the appropriate government agency.

Customs Duty-free allowances: · Cigarettes, 2,000 · Cigars, 400 · Tobacco, 2 kilograms · Alcohol (non-Muslim adults only), 2 litres of spirits or 2 litres of wine · Perfume, a reasonable amount.

No customs duty is levied on personal effects entering Dubai.

The Dubai Duty Free Shop has a sales outlet in the airport’s Arrivals Hall.
 

Getting your goods to the market

Port and warehouse facilities

All the Emirates have modern ports. The port of Jebel Ali in Dubai is the largest man-made port in the world; is has 63 deepwater berths with adequate warehousing. The majority of goods are imported by sea, and then transferred by truck to neighbouring GCC countries.

In Dubai, Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port are now amalgamated under the Dubai Ports Authority. Port Rashid is one of the busiest ports in the Gulf and has 35 berths. Jebel Ali Port has 63 berths. Dubai has developed a free zone at Jebel Ali, as well as one at Dubai International Airport. This has enabled Dubai to dominate the business of unloading, breaking down, and reloading cargo for onward shipment. Warehouse facilities provide storage for imports and there are no storage charges for the first 20 days.

Other ports in the UAE are also seeking to gain a share of re-export business. Sharjah is the only Emirate with a port on both the Gulf and Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman) coasts: Mina Khalid and Khorfakkan. Fujairah also has a port on the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman). Having a port located on the Gulf of Oman outside the entrance to the Gulf is a significant advantage. An international cargo ship can cut 24 hours off the sailing time from Europe to the Far East by not joining the queue to pass through the busy straits, not to mention the savings from lower insurance rates for not entering the Gulf.

Delivery dates

Sea freight from Europe takes approximately 4-6 weeks, with air freight taking 3-7 days. Note that goods requiring transfer from the ports will require extra time and this will need to be taken into account when calculating the delivery time. Customs clearance can also add a week or two to this period, and delivery dates should take this into account