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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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Licenses

Importers apply for import licenses from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and must be registered with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). The import licenses are valid for one year, are renewable, and allow for multiple shipments.

Import licenses for industrial machinery and spare parts are also required, which are issued by the Public Authority for Industry. Various ministries and agencies also issue licenses for specific products, including firearms, explosives, pharmaceuticals, and wild or exotic animals.

Only the local agent is authorized to clear items at Kuwait Customs by showing an official letter of representation as well as a letter by the end-user.

Documentation

Kuwait documentation procedures require a commercial invoice, certificate of origin, packing list, and a bill of lading or airway bill to accompany all commercial shipments. Certain products may require additional licenses or certificates.

Commercial Invoice

One original and two copies are required, plus the certificate of origin. The invoice must contain an accurate description of the goods, marks and numbers, net and gross weights in metric measure, quantity, units, total value, and country of origin, and port and shipping information (name of vessel and transportation means). The invoice should be legalized by a local chamber of commerce or the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Certificate of Origin

One original and two copies are required. If products are of U.S. origin, the invoice must also include a statement that the products shipped are of U.S. origin and have been manufactured in the United States. This rule would also apply to U.S. commonwealths or territories. If the products are of U.S. origin but contain foreign content, the document must include country of origin of the non-U.S goods and percentage of content. The certificate of origin should be legalized by a local chamber of Commerce or the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Packing List

The packing list must provide detailed information on each item contained in any package and must be stamped with the company seal or stamp of the exporter or freight forwarder.

Bill of Lading

Three copies of the bill of lading are required. The bill of lading must show the name of the shipper, the name and address of the consignee, port of final destination, description of the goods, listing of freight and other charges, number of bills of lading in the complete set, and the acknowledgment signature that the carrier has confirmed receipt on board of the goods to be shipped.

The import license holder’s name must appear on the bill of lading, and he/she must be a Kuwaiti national.

For questions pertaining to document authentication, please consult with your importer and freight forwarder or customs broker.

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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.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

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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