Saudi Customs has informed importers and customs brokers of the necessary guidelines for the latest rate cuts to apply to their commodities. King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, had issued a decree to cut customs rates on 180 commodities, including some food items. The lower rates will apply to goods registered with Saudi Customs after April 1. The Arabic daily Al-Watan on Thursday quoted unidentified sources in Jeddah as saying that the Jeddah Port Customs Department had sent circulars to all related authorities and businesses, stating that the cuts will apply to all transactions entered into the department's computers as of Tuesday morning. Any goods the data of which had been entered earlier will not benefit from the reductions. On the other hand, those who had delayed entering data on their imports until after Tuesday morning will take advantage of the new reductions, even though their shipments might have arrived at the seaport prior to that time. Al-Watan said a number of importers and customs brokers complained that this constitutes a loophole in the implementation mechanisms of the new cuts. They called for application to be based on the date of arrival of ships at ports, to avoid the dodging tactics some traders are already planning to use. Importers who have raised customs data for their commodities prior to the arrival of ships will be treated according to the previous tariff, according to the circulars of the Customs department. Major commodities which will benefit from the cut include chilled and frozen poultry and their products, eggs, cheese, vegetable oils, pasta, canned food, juices, water, long-life milk and several basic construction materials, as well as consumer materials such as soap, detergents, sanitary towels, children's diapers, paper tissues, and inputs of agricultural production, such as fertilizers and greenhouse materials. __
