Import Documentation/Procedures (United Arab Emirates (UAE))

Market Reports/Tariffs Textiles, Apparel, Footwear and Travel Goods

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Import Tariffs Documentation/Procedures Restrictions Standards Labeling Intellectual Property Rights Market Information

Last updated on 01/28/2013

If you have any questions about the following information, please contact Pamela Kirkland at the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Textiles and Apparel at 202-482-4058 or click here for e-mail access.

**The following information is provided only as a guide and should be confirmed with the proper authorities before embarking on any export activities.**

Import Tariffs - United Arab Emirates (UAE) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which consists of Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and confers special trade and investment privileges within those countries. As a member of the GCC, the UAE implemented the Unified Customs Law (ULC) in 2003 to facilitate regional trade. In accordance with the ULC, the UAE imposes a five-percent tariff on the c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) invoice value of most imported products, including textile, apparel, footwear and travel goods products. For more detailed tariff information, or the Unified Customs Tariffe for GCC States 2012 in the right hand column on the United Arab Emirates Customs Authority webstie or the Current Situation of Schedules of Members on the World Trade Organization website.

Additional Import Taxes and Charges: There are no additional taxes for products shipped to the UAE.

Samples/Temporary Entry--Commercial samples for exhibition may be imported temporarily with approval from Customs, provided they are re-exported within six months, upon payment of a deposit in lieu of duty or a bank guarantee. The deposit or guarantee is refundable on proof of export. The materials and articles that enter under temporary admission may not be used, allocated or disposed of for purposes and objectives other than those for which they were imported as stated in the declaration submitted.

The UAE accepts ATA Carnets for exhibitions and fairs.

ATA Carnet--An ATA Carnet or "Merchandise Passport" is a document that facilitates the temporary importation of products into foreign countries by eliminating tariffs and other import taxes or charges normally required at the time of importation. For more information or to apply for an ATA Carnet, see the United States Council for International Business website.

For information on how to determine tariff rates, see the Export.gov webpage on Tariffs and Import Fees.

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Import Documentation/Procedures (United Arab Emirates (UAE)) The UAE requires documentation for all imported products be authenticated by the UAE Embassy in the exporting country. For U.S. exports, the documents first must be certified by the National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce - NUSACC and then legalized by the UAE Embassy.

For more information on local customs rules and regulations: UAE Federal Customs Authority

For information on common export documents, such as transportation documents, export compliance documents, certificates of origin, certificates for shipments of specific goods, temporary shipment documents, and other export-related documents, see the Export.gov webpage on Common Export Documents.

For more information on import procedures and documentation requirements, see the Country Commercial Guides (CCG) in the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library (enter your country of interest in the "country" field, and enter "Country Commercial Guide (CCG)" in the "Report Type" field. Some market research reports are available only to U.S. companies and U.S. students/researchers that are registered with Export.gov.

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Import Restrictions (United Arab Emirates (UAE)) Restricted goods are those goods that the import and export of which is restricted under the provisions of the law or system in force in the country. A complete list at the 8 digit level can be found at the UAE Federal Customs Authority website.

Suits and protective vests, of knitted synthetic or man-made fibers (HSs 6101.30.00 and 6201.93.00) are on the "restricted" list.

 HS 5608.1100--Made-up fishing nets of man-made textile materials  HS 5608.1900--Knotted netting of twine, cordage or rope; made-up fishing nets and other made-up nets, of textile materials of man-made textile materials  HS 5608.90.00--Knotted netting of twine, cordage or rope; made-up fishing nets and other made-up nets, of textile materials

U.S. Export Restrictions:

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, and international narcotics traffickers and their agents in accordance with U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. The OFAC website includes summaries of sanctions programs for various countries and the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons” (SDNs) list of entities and individuals with whom U.S. persons may not conduct business and whose property must be blocked if under the control of a U.S. person.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which regulate the export and re-export of most commercial items. BIS maintains the Denied Persons List, which consists of individuals, and companies that have been denied export and re-export privileges by BIS, and the Entity List, which consists of foreign end users who pose an unacceptable risk of diverting U.S. exports and the technology they contain to alternate destinations for the development of weapons of mass destruction

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Standards - United Arab Emirates (UAE) The Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology - ESMA is an independent organization under the umbrella of the Federal Ministry of Finance and Industry. ESMA runs a conformity assessment program called the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS). This program determines whether imports meet national or international standards for products.

Standards are numbered and published in the Official Gazette. Afterwards, standards are printed and are available for sale.

Local standards organization and other resources: Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology - ESMA

GCC Standardization Organization

The National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce provides information on U.S. and foreign standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures for non-agricultural products. NCSCI staff responds to requests for information by identifying relevant standards and regulations, and by referral to the appropriate standards-developers or private- sector organizations. Under copyright restrictions, NCSCI cannot provide copies of standards, but NCSCI does provide sources for accessing standards.

U.S. companies can register for the Notify U.S. service to learn about and comment on proposed changes to foreign standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures that may affect U.S. access to global markets.

Additional resources:

Examples of voluntary formaldehyde labeling programs

American Apparel and Footwear Association's Restricted Substances List

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Return to Top Labeling - United Arab Emirates (UAE) It is mandatory that textile labels include the country of origin and the size. Inclusion of composition and/or care instructions is optional. Labels must be in Arabic only or Arabic/English.

The Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology is currently developing packaging and product labeling standards.

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Intellectual Property Rights - United Arab Emirates (UAE) Trademarks may be registered with the Ministry of Economy. Registration is valid in all the emirates for ten years and renewable for consecutive periods of ten years. As part of the GCC Customs Union, the UAE and the other five Member States are working toward unifying their IP regimes. In this respect, the GCC is preparing a draft common trademark law.

Ministry of Publishing and Copyright Department Tel.: (971) 506 162 120 / (971 2) 613 14 10 Email: [email protected]

Patent applications must be filed with the UAE Patent Office. Accepted applications are published in the Official Gazette, and any interested party has the right to appeal to the Committee within 60 days of publication. In the absence of opposition, the letters-patent or the utility certificate is issued.

For information on protecting your trademarks, patents and copyrights:

Export.gov --Protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Abroad

StopFakes.gov

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Market Information - United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Export.Gov Middle East webpage

Government Procurement-- See Global Procurement Opportunities for U.S. exporters.

Similar to the US, the UAE is a two tier government - Federal and Emirate (‘state’) level. For all types of government procurement and projects, US firms need to have a presence in the UAE and get their goods/services pre-qualified with the various government departments for procurement tenders. Federal purchases are administered through the respective federal offices located in Abu Dhabi and/or Dubai. At the emirate level, goods/services are purchased directly by the institution depending on their needs.

Government entities prefer to deal with firms registered in the UAE, and will favor local products over imports. Only when goods or services of acceptable quality are not available locally will the procurement authority seek outside sources. A procurement notice is usually posted electronically for one month by the Ministry of Finance or the relevant ministry, and is published twice in two widely disseminated newspapers. Access to the electronic system requires registration with the Ministry of Finance and payment of a fee. Specifications and conditions of the procurement must be in Arabic but, if necessary, they may be translated into one or more foreign languages.