Our Team

STA's Team of Lawyers in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, UAE, Luxembourg, Moscow, RAK, Sharjah, and Singapore. Find a Lawyer. ..

Read more information

Egypt: Presidential Decree Number 207 of 2020 Concerning Customs Law

Egypt: Presidential Decree Number 207 of 2020 Concerning Customs Law

A new customs law has been introduced by Presidential Decree Number 207 of 2020, aiming to amend rules and procedures of the old law and its exemptions. This recent amendment seeks to integrate the old law and its exemptions into a unified system and only the procedures thereof.

Some important provisions of the new law are as follows;

  1. The amended law aims to implement a pre-query system to address technical business queries along with a single-window system to facilitate procedures.
  2. It aims to incorporate provisions from the old customs exemptions law and further introduce new provisions, like introducing changes in the risk management system.
  3. For the Temporary Admission Regime, the law states that the time limit for goods that are to be re-exported may be extended for a period not exceeding one year.
  4. The custom authority has the responsibility to; manage the temporary admission regime, tax refund and monitor IP rights associated with goods being exported or re-exported.
  5. The law lays down a detailed list of acts considered to be custom violations, which would attract a fine of EGP 10,000. Fine is to be imposed as follows;
  1. Providing incorrect data in the custom declaration
  2. Violation of custom rules
  3. Non-preservation of seals from parcels, containers or transport means
  4. Disabling or causing impediments in the conduct of duties by custom employees
  1. It further imposes stringent penalties and fines upon any person who;
  1. Decreases or increases imported goods in an unjust manner
  2. Provides incorrect data about the value of goods
  3. Fails to list in his records, the increase in inventory
  4. Fabricates and provides wrong information about goods
  1. The law also imposes stringent penalties in cases of smuggling, as follows;
  1. Any person found smuggling goods for trading shall be subject to imprisonment for three years; or a fine of EGP 25,000 not exceeding EGP 250,000, or both.
  2. In case the goods related to smuggling are rejected or prohibited goods, the offender shall be liable to imprisonment of 2 years but not exceeding five years along with a compensation equivalent to two times the value of goods or the tax due whichever is higher.
  3. The person engaged in such activities shall have their custom registration suspended until the pendency of the case until the issuance of the final judgment.

The new law provides certain custom benefits in keeping with the provisions of the Investment Law and the Special Economic Zones Law. The aim here is to promote foreign investment in furtherance of the national objective to facilitate international trade.