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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 27 April 2017:
A new set of customs tariffs was announced this week by the Faiez Serraj-led Presidency Council / Government of National Accord (PC/GNA). The tariff ranges from zero percent on basic foods to 50 percent on domestic electrical goods, electrical goods, tyres and batteries and vehicle spare parts.
The new tariffs are announced in conjunction with the new dollar import allocations set for the 2017 budget.
| New import customs duties 2017 – Products | Customs duty | |
| 1 | Food products: flour(retail packing ), vegetable oils, tomato paste, power milk, concentrated milk, sugar, rice, tea, triangle cheese, pasta and tinned tuna. | 0% |
| 2 | Wheat | 0% |
| 3 | Medicines and health equipment & products | 30% |
| 4 | Baby milk and food | 0% |
| 5 | Mother and child goods | 30% |
| 6 | Various other food products | 40% |
| 7 | Dairy products | 30% |
| 8 | Livestock and frozen meats | 30% |
| 9 | Raw materials for local production | 0% |
| 10 | Cement, paint and pastes | 30% |
| 11 | Cleaning products | 50% |
| 12 | Veterinary product | 30% |
| 13 | Finished animal feed | 30% |
| 14 | Fertilizers, seeds & agricultural products | 30% |
| 15 | Stationery and school products | 30% |
| 16 | Clothes and shoes | 30% |
| 17 | Electrical goods | 50% |
| 18 | Domestic electrical goods | 50% |
| 19 | Tyres and batteries | 50 % |
| 20 | Car & HGV spare parts | 50% |
This new tariff decree prescribes that the importer deposits the estimated customs duty in advance. If the import process is cancelled for good reason, it would be refunded. Local Ministry of Economy offices would follow up on the prices charged and the distribution of goods by the importer.
The decree specifically cancels the earlier decree imposing the unified 100 percent import tariff on most goods.
Enforceability of this decree will be the main challenge for the Tripoli authorities on border and port points where central Tripoli authority is weak. Corruption and the total sidestepping of the payment of customs duties is rife. It is partially for this reason that Serraj had initially imposed the 100 percent duty on the opening of LCs – prior to any goods arriving.
Equally, it is thought that Libya has tariff exemption agreements with Arab countries which would preclude this latest decree.
