By Delores Johnson Feb 2 2020 / The National
It aims to drive growth by reducing costs and clearing shipments more efficiently through ports
The General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi aims to increase trade in the emirate by boosting the number of pre-cleared items to 15 per cent of the total registered items in 2020.
Only 8 per cent of all goods were pre-cleared before arriving at Abu Dhabi’s ports last year, according to statistics issued by the customs clearance system, “Dhabi”.
The pre-clearance process requires importers or their representatives to submit declaration information to the custom body before the goods arrive at a port. This allows an importer to finish procedures and pay fees in advance while fulfilling the regulatory requirements to complete a transaction process .
Once approvals are secured, a security inspection is carried out and the shipment is matched to ensure goods are cleared quickly when they arrive at the port in Abu Dhabi.
“This reduces the time required to clear the shipments to the minimum and contributes to reducing costs and increasing competition opportunities for the commercial and industrial sectors,” the customs authority said.
“It also reduces the cost of clearance paid by the companies and allows them to rely on themselves instead of resorting to clearance companies to clear goods on their behalf.”