Malta Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in malta, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Temporary Entry
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The Temporary Importation (TI) procedure allows duty-free temporary importation of goods or materials into Malta.  To receive the fee exemption, goods must not be processed or repaired in Malta outside of routine maintenance necessary to preserve goods in the condition in which they were imported. 

Products typically imported under TI relief include goods to display in an exhibition, goods imported for testing, and samples.  In most cases, the owner must re-export the goods within the prescribed time limit.

For most temporary importations, a security deposit (cash or bank guarantee) equal to the full amount of customs duty and VAT is required.  Businesses can reclaim the deposit when they re-export the goods.

One may apply for TI authorization at the time of entry or prior to shipment.  Certain temporary importations can also make use of an ATA Carnet.  An ATA Carnet is a book of vouchers that replaces the normal customs documentation at the time of importation.  The ATA Carnet system is operated worldwide; security to cover potential import and VAT duties is deposited with the country of issue.  More specific information on the ATA Carnet Customs procedures can be found here: https://www.trade.gov/ata-carnet.

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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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