Kuwait Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in kuwait, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Customs Regulations
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Valuation

Kuwait implemented the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement (Article VII of the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade) on January 1, 2001. In compliance with Article VII, Kuwait has agreed to five methods for determining customs valuation. The first criterion is based on transaction value (the price actually paid or payable plus costs and expenses). For transaction value to be applied, the parties must be unrelated. If Kuwait Customs rejects this valuation method, other valuation means can be employed such as transaction value of identical or similar goods, valuation on FOB, or CIF values.

Customs Union

Kuwait allows entry of other GCC goods meeting the rule of origin criteria duty free. To receive preferential duty status, 40% or more of the value added of each product must originate in a GCC member country, with 51% of the producing firm’s capital owned by citizens of a GCC country.

In April 2018, Kuwait ratified the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement which simplified customs and border procedures, improve transparency and access to information, and lower trade costs.

Key Regulatory Areas

  • High Performance Computers
  • Encryption
  • Deemed Exports FAQ’s | Process Improvements and Guidance
  • Anti-boycott Regulations
  • Regional Considerations
  • Multilateral Export Regimes Technical Advisory Committees Wassenaar Arrangement

Customs Contact Information

General Administration of Customs

P.O. Box 16, Safat 13001 Kuwait

Tel: (965) 2484-3490

Fax: (965) 2483-8055

Email: q8customs@hotmail.com

 

Kuwait Customs-shipments arriving via air transport

Tel: (965) 2473-5993, Fax: (965) 2472-6683

 

Kuwait Customs-Statistics and Auditing Office

Tel: (965) 2484-3682 or 2484-0472, Fax: 2484-6531

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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