RIYADH — The Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has announced waiving the fees for all customs services for exports. The authority also reduced customs service fees for imports through a new mechanism for calculating import service fees, which involves a fee of 0.15 percent of the value of the incoming goods for customs declaration. The new fee structure will take effect on Oct. 6, 2024, the authority said in a statement. The decision regarding the Fee Rules on Customs Services was taken by the Board of Directors of ZATCA, and this includes specifying the fees on customs services provided by ZATCA and the conditions for fulfilling them. The decision also stipulates a fee of SR15 for customs declaration processing services on individuals' shipments arriving through online stores, provided that the value of these shipments does not exceed SR1,000. ZATCA clarified that the customs services for exports for which the fees have been waived include customs declaration processing service, lead seal, land port loading services, X-ray inspection, customs data exchange, and sample analysis exchange at specialized laboratories. ZATCA added that previously the customs service fees for imports included a charge of SR100 for each container inspected by X-ray, an additional SR 100 for "information exchange" services, and SR20 for customs declaration processing services. With the new decision, the fee shall be based on 0.15 percent of the value of the incoming goods, including insurance and shipping, with a maximum of SR 500 and a minimum of SR15 and a special cap of SR130 for shipments exempt from customs duties and taxes. ZATCA invites customers and taxpayers to contact it if they have any inquiries via the unified 24/7 call center number (19993), or through its X Account (@Zatca_Care), or e-mail ([email protected]), or instant chatting through ZATCA's website (zatca.gov.sa). ZATCA indicated that the waiver of customs service fees for exports will contribute to encouraging exporters and alleviating financial burdens, especially for SMEs, as well as enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Saudi exports. The authority also confirmed that the new mechanism for calculating import service fees aimed to reduce import costs and enhance the importers' capability to pre-calculate customs service fees for imports and set a higher limit for such fees. The new decision also ensures the elimination of any cost increases against importers and unifies the calculation mechanism for various land, sea and air ports, while also supporting and enhancing trade facilitation objectives. ZATCA also announced that through the new measures, it seeks to provide customs services in accordance with the best practices, leading to realizing the positive income across the logistics ecosystem and supporting its strategic objectives. The new measures also aim to promote the confidence of importers and exporters and improve transparency. The authority reiterated its commitment to develop its customs services in line with its strategic objectives, by contributing to turning Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub in line with its Vision 2030.
