a- A Brief About Kuwaiti Markets:
The state of Kuwait adopts a free policy in the light of a free economic system. Kuwaiti markets are considered as an oasis for free trade. In the light of the Unified Customs Law of the GCC countries, custom duties do not exceed 5% on most of the goods imported from outside the custom union. Tobacco and Cigarettes are subject to (100%) customs, while there are more than (400) type of goods exempted from customs. There are no quantitative or typical restrictions on imports, also imports should be identical with Kuwaiti standards.
Kuwaiti markets are also distinguished with the freedom of currency and transfer, and openness to all the countries of the world, except Israel, where Kuwait maintains commercial relations with most countries of the world, regardless of their geographical location or political system. The relation between price and quality is the decisive factor in the success of marketing goods of such countries in the Kuwaiti markets. Kuwait is also an establishing member in World Trade Organization.
As the State of Kuwait is considered a free trading center, the local importer is not obliged to obtain a separate importing license for every item of goods he wishes to import to the country. On the contrary, it is enough to obtain an annual importing license from the Ministry of Trading and Industry, which enables him to import any quantity of any type of goods from anywhere in the world, except for the industrial equipment and machines, which need a special license.
The law has restricted the import of some specific goods, and subjected some other items to a special importing license. (for more detailed information please review the custom lists). You can also refer to the following address, which is the address of the entity through which you can obtain details about the goods exempted from custom taxes in accordance with the Gulf Customs Union, and the percentage of taxes in details; as well as the completed incoming and outgoing custom transactions.
General Department of Customs
P.O. Box (16) Safat 13001
Tel: 24818940 – 24845419
Fax: 24845780
You can also obtain a list of the exempted goods and the percentage of custom taxes by accessing the website of the General Secretariat of GCC countries, address of which shall be mentioned herein below.
b- Instructions for Exporters of Goods to the State of Kuwait:
First, the organizing code should be placed in both the invoices and the certificates of origin for each imported item. The same applies to the exported items.
Electrical Appliances:
Exporters of electric appliances should assure that the electrical current required for their operation is (220/240) volt, with more or less tolerance limits of 6%, and with a frequency of (50) cycles. Such appliances could be accompanied with small transformers for the purpose of electric modification. All tools, engines and electric appliances should be verified concerning their conformity with technical specifications required in the State of Kuwait (for more detailed information, please refer to the Public Authority for Industry, address of which will be mentioned herein after).
Food Stuff:
Health department in Kuwait Municipality imposes severe monitoring and inspection on foodstuff capable of fermentation or decay due to high temperature in the summer. Therefore, special care should be exerted for such staff to guarantee their validity and quality. It should be also taken into consideration that some types of fungus quickly get damaged in the hot weather in Kuwait. All foodstuffs should be valid for human use as it will be subject to a neat laboratory test in municipality. Foodstuff consignments sent to the State of Kuwait should be accompanied with an invoice, a certificate of origin, and weight statement. In case the consignment is proved to be non-valid or not in conformity, the importer is given one of two choices; either to destroy the shipment or re-export it within a maximum period of six months. All cans, bottles and boxes etc.. containing foods should have a sticker showing in Arabic the name of the product, the contents, the net and the gross weight, the country of origin, date of production and date of expiry.
It is worthy mentioning that the health department in Kuwait municipality prohibits the entrance of any imported foods, production date of which is before six months according to the date of production registered thereon, if the total validity of the item is only one year.
An exception of this rule is the classified food items, which has a seasonal nature. However, this is only prohibited if the production date is before eight months.
If the validity period of the food stuff item is one year or less, it shall be prohibited to enter the State of Kuwait if more than half of its validity period or the period of three months, whichever less, has lapsed.
Food items of a validity period less than two months are exempted from the above.
* Importing Meat and Meat Products:
Municipality announcement No. (197/65) concerning importing meat and meat production conditions that these items are accompanied with a certificate showing the following details:
1- Country of origin – number of packs – weight – type and name of meat producer – date of inspection – source of export.
2- Name of importer and destination.
3- Veterinary health certificate proving that the cattle were subject to inspection prior to and post slaughter, and that they are void of all infectious diseases.
4- A certificate from the producer showing the type, and percentage of each of components of production.
* Importing Fish:
1- Consignments of foodstuff sent to the country should be accompanied with the following documents (Invoice – certificate of origin – weight statement).
2- Imported fish are conditioned to be in conformity with the standards approved. A copy of such standards can be obtained from the Public Authority for Industry – department of specifications and standards (address of which shall be mentioned herein after).
3- Imported fish are also conditioned to be valid for human use, void of harmful microbes or heavy metals. Random samples of fish consignments are inspected in the arrival inlet to assure its validity for human usage and its conformity with the standards.
4- In case the consignment is proved to be invalid or non-conformant with the standards, the importer is given the choice either to destroy the consignment or re-export the same within a maximum period of six months.
Cattle:
The following conditions should be considered:
1- Cattle should be vaccinated against anthrax, cattle plague, diseases of mouth and feet, and toxemia.
2- Cattle should be proved to be free from tuberculosis and infectious feet diseases by inspection before shipment.
3- Cattle should be imported from places void of pneumonia of the cattle.
4- Cattle should be rubbed with anti-parasite solution shortly before shipment.
5- Cattle imported to the country should be accompanied with a certificate issued from the veterinary department of the importing country.
6- A permission of import should be obtained from the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources in Kuwait.
Medicine:
Imported medicines and drugs should be verified to have been manufactured in the proper way, as it shall be subject to a neat laboratory test by the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Public Health. For more information please refer to:
Ministry of Health – Alimentary and Medicinal Monitoring Affairs
P.O. Box (5) Safat 13001 State of Kuwait
Tel: 24830130 – Fax: 24811267
Flammable Materials:
Ports and custom authorities should be informed in advance with the expectation of the arrival of flammable or explosive materials imported from abroad to take the necessary precautions, in conformity with the law of customs of 1959 concerning loading and unloading, transportation and storage. (for more information please refer to the General Department of Customs, address of which is mentioned herein above).
Goods Details:
Details of goods should be registered in Arabic. English is considered the second language with which such details could be written as other languages are not known to most of the inhabitants in the State of Kuwait. Each item should have its bar code registered there upon.
Measurements:
Exporters should use the metric system in weights and measures upon shipment of the goods to Kuwait, and to place a sticker on goods showing the metric weights and measurements. For liquids, liter is approved as a measurement.
Conformity Certificate:
Exporters should verify the conformity of their products to the Kuwaiti standards and specifications by referring to the Public Authority for Industry, which recently necessitated that the exporter should attach with the sent consignment a certificate of conformity by consulting with one of the international companies concerned with conformity issues and obtaining a conformity certificate there from, to be attached with the other documents of the consignments sent to the State of Kuwait. This is conditioned for the release of the consignments into the State of Kuwait. In this concern, the Public Authority of Industry approved lists of some types of goods on which this system is applicable. The same system shall apply on industrial goods in the future. For more information, please refer to the following:
Public Authority for Industry
P.O.box (4960) Safat 13047 State of Kuwait
Tel: 24318240 – Fax: 24318721
E-mail: www.pai-uccp.com
Websites: kar@pai.gov.kw
Goods of Arabic Origin:
Based on the Treaty for Facilitating and Development of Commercial Exchange among Arab and free countries of 1981, in the concern of which law No. 21 of 1983 was issued, and based on the resolution No. 1317 dated 19/2/1997, issued by the economic and social council of the Arab League in its fifty ninth session concerning the announcement of the great Arab commercial free zone within ten yeas as of 1/1/1998, the General Department of Customs in the State of Kuwait issued its custom instructions memo No. 53/97 dated 31/12/1997, which stated that the scaling down of the applicable custom tax on all goods of Arabic origin imported to the country in the percentage of 10% commencing from 1/1/1998 through 2007. The Council of the Arab League resolved in its Amman summit of 2001 to enhance the steps taken in favor of finalizing the transitional phase of establishing the great Arab commercial free zone in the beginning of January 2005. In this date, all goods are being free of custom taxes provided such consignments are:
1- Accompanied with a certificate of origin issued from the concerned authorities of the country of production on a specific form.
2- That the added value resulting from its production in the Arabic country sharing in the agreement be shown therein, provided such value is not less than 40% of its final value when its production is finalized.
3- That the added value resulting from the production of Arab Assembling Industry is not less than 20% as a minimum limit, and that this is shown in the certificate of origin accompanying the goods.
4- The certificate of origin should be issued from the producing entity, and be duly authenticated from the concerned authority of issuance in Arabic country of origin.
Goods of GCC country Origin:
Goods imported to the State of Kuwait, with origin being one of the GCC countries are allowed to enter the country as per its local invoices and the unified custom statement for statistical purposes. An exempted custom manifest shall be authenticated for such items after assuring the origin as shown on the items.