Amman: The Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) on Monday welcomed the government’s decision to instate a customs valuation ceiling on inbound containerized freight. This directive recalibrates the customs value to the pre-October 7 levels and will remain effective until the culmination of Ramadan, followed by a scheduled policy review.
The cabinet’s resolution comes against the backdrop of a marked escalation in freight charges, registering increases of approximately 160-180 percent for imports originating from Southeast Asia and China, and 60-100 percent for those from Europe and North America.
In tandem with this measure, the chamber lauded the government’s mandate for the Customs Department and pertinent oversight bodies to ensure round-the-clock operational efficiency. This strategy aims at streamlining the customs inspection and expedited clearance processes for merchandise arriving through the Aqaba port.
The chamber underscored that this policy echoes the broader private sector’s advocacy, particularly
the Jordanian commerce community. This framework, reminiscent of the fiscal strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively minimized importers’ financial burdens by anchoring customs duties and tax levies to the goods’ value at the point of shipping.
It is projected that the implementation of this revised customs valuation mechanism will start reflecting in the pricing of imported goods and commodities within the current week.
The chamber also emphasized the criticality of continuous monitoring of the maritime shipping sector’s volatility in the Red Sea corridor. The chamber said this vigilance is essential to ensure the uninterrupted supply of goods and commodities to the domestic market, particularly in the run-up to Ramadan.
Source: Jordan News Agency
