Dubai Travel Tips and City Facts
United Arab Emirates

Dubai Port and Customs

Vision and Leadership
We will be a recognized model of excellence, challenging traditional boundaries, seizing opportunities, setting the standard to become a renowned world leader in providing innovative Customs services. Providing world class services.

Mission Statement
Our mission is to excel in serving Dubai by delivering Customs services of the highest and uncompromising quality and value.

WE ARE COMMITTED to protect Dubai’s revenue by going beyond and above assessing and collecting duties and fees. We will control, regulate and facilitate the movement of commodities between Dubai and other nations. We will seek new channel streams of revenues depending on innovative and creative service endeavours.

WE ARE COMMITTED to provide the highest quality of services to our customers. We will exceed our customers’ expectations by providing friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and prompt service in all areas of our operations. Through system-wide continuous improvement in the quality of everything we do, we will strengthen our leadership position. Innovation, technology and creativity are essential catalysts for our competitive advantage.

WE ARE COMMITTED to emphasise the importance of our employees by providing an environment where people realise their full potential, where they feel good about their work, are challenged and well trained, and are able to grow both professionally and personally, thereby maximising their contributions. We seek productivity through participation, teamwork and accountability.

WE ARE COMMITTED to conduct our operations based on international provisions implemented by the world Customs and other international trade communities. Our conduct accommodates recommendations expressed by international institutions which have regard to facilitating legitimate trade. Integrity, competence, and conformity with international standards characterise our Customs system.

WE ARE COMMITTED to endeavour to be a good citizen at all times by engaging in activities that have a positive social and economic impact on the communities in which we work and the world at large.

Functions of Customs

Customs is no longer a mere collector of duty or inspector of cargo. Customs has assumed new responsibilities that are more significant from a traditional perspective. It has expanded to include the facilitation of trade while, at the same time, Customs continues to play a vital role in preventing the entry of goods detrimental to the United Arab Emirates society. One of the greatest challenges of Dubai Customs consists in balancing the facilitation and the need for control.

Customs Policy pursued in UAE and particularly in Dubai has been responsible for elevating Dubai to its present status of an international trading centre. The role of Customs now covers economic, social and statistical areas. Simply stated, Dubai Customs plays a pivotal role in border protection, trade administration and revenue collection.

Collection of Customs Duties
Customs is charged with assessing and collecting duties imposed on imported goods. Dubai levies a 4% duty on all imported goods (50% on alcohol and 100% on Tobacco) unless they are exempted.

Provision of complete information on trade
Statistics Section collects and analyses information on trade, import, import for re-export and export. Trade and Customs statistics are essential decision-making tools in order:

Protection of public health

This type of function is not related to economic protection as much as it is to controlling goods harmful or potentially harmful to the individual or environment. In fact, strict control is imposed on foodstuffs, vaccines, medicines, drugs and other similar goods. Dubai Customs works in close relationship with Dubai Municipality and Ministry of Health.

Prohibition or restriction of goods

Dubai Customs is also the first line of defense against the importation of harmful goods that affect individual health, coherence of the society and environment cleanliness.

Implementation of regulations to control the flow of foreign trade

The economic role of Customs due to the liberalized and transparent policy, has raised Dubai to an international trade hub which now handles 70% of UAE's non-oil trade.

The simple and easy customs procedures have facilitated smooth movements of consignments in and out of the country, affording international trade remarkable incentives.

Excellent infrastructure combined with high level transport and communications facilities and the absence of sales taxes paved the way for non-oil trade to grow.

Provision of efficient import/export procedures to trade community

The liberal economic policy regarding customs operations brought about rapid increase in the Emirates development and trade.

The policy regarding re-export is another factor in the speedy development achieved by the economy of Dubai. Traders could import from low price sources and keep the goods for a period of six months paying only a deposit of 4% until they find the most profitable market to re-export their goods. The deposit is then refunded on producing proof of export.

The transshipment facility, that enables traders to transit their shipments through Dubai without any hassles, has also helped boost international transactions, contributing to rapid economic development.

Provision of incentives to investment

One of the major objectives of trade administration is to ensure that the trade and commerce community receives the support and is given the advantages intended by a wide variety of trade policy, legislation or agreements.

Above all, the economic policy of keeping tariff rates at low levels and the setting up of free trade areas such as free zones and duty-free areas has provided substantial force to accelerating the pace of growth of foreign trade as well as industrial development.

The policy regarding the issue of industrial licences to manufacturing industries exempting them from customs duty, forms another important contributing factor to the economic role of customs in the development of trade and commerce.