Import Commercial Goods

For customs clearance of commercial goods into Kuwait, a minimum of four documents are needed:

• COMMERCIAL INVOICE
• CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN
• OFFICIAL DELIVERY ORDER
• PACKING LIST

1) The commercial invoice should include:

• type of goods
• detailed description of goods
• number of goods as on manifest
• unit and total prices
• net and gross weights
• name and address of manufacturer and/or exporter
• trade marks
• country of origin
• type of packaging
• name of the carrier
• mode of transport
• port of export

2) The certificate of origin should include:

• place of origin of the goods
• name of the manufacturing plant
• name of the producing company
• name of freight forwarder
• clear statement that goods are not Israeli or Iraqi origin
• Gross and net weights
• trade mark
• value of goods
• type of packing
• mode of transport

3) The official delivery order (AWB, B/L etc) should include:

• umber of parcels in the consignment
• contents of each parcel including details of color, measurements, etc
• shipping marks
• packing
• mode of transport

4) The packing list should include:

• type of packing (i.e. bales, boxes, cartons, or crates)
• contents of each package
• Gross and net weights of each package

The importer of goods must provide three original copies (invoice, certificate of origin and delivery order) which must be certified by a chamber of commerce in the country of export, preferably a joint local Arab chamber, and certified by the Kuwaiti consulate in that country. If there is no Kuwaiti embassy in the exporting country, the consulate of Saudi Arabia (preferably) or any other Arab country (except Iraq) is acceptable. As well as being shown on the packing list, the country of origin must also be marked on each packing unit.
As well as these four documents, many products must be accompanied by additional certificates. Most of these concern health and safety and are required under regulations issued by the Ministry of public health, the Municipality and the MCI.
All goods must be cleared by customs. A forwarding agent could assist in processing the customs clearance. Goods that fail to clear customs must be re-exported within one month.
Changes in import regulations are published in AL-KUWAIT AL-YOUM, the official Gazette, and usually do not come into effect until they have been published.
Duty is levied as a percentage of the CIF value of the goods up, but excluding unloading in, Kuwait. It is calculated and must be paid in Kuwaiti Dinar (KD).
The standard rate of duty is 4 %. But most may be imported duty free, food products, medicine, essential consumer goods, live animals, bullion, printed matter, etc, except where these (such as bread) are manufactured locally.
Certain industrial and farm products,
Raw material, semi-processed goods, equipment and spare parts for new industrial establishments provided exemptions has been obtained.

PROHIBITED ITEMS include ARMS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOZIVES, ETHYL, ALCOHOLE, PORK PRODUCTS, DRUGS, PESTICIDES, JEWELLERY, PRECIOUS STONES, WEIGHTS