Non-Tariff Barriers :: Complaints

Resolved complaints

Showing items 801 to 820 of 914

Complaint number	NTB Type Category 1. Government participation in trade & restrictive practices tolerated by governments 1.1. Export subsidies 1.2. Government monopoly in export/import 1.3. State subsidies, procurement, trading, state ownership 1.4. Preference given to domestic bidders/suppliers 1.5. Requirement for counter trade 1.6. Domestic assistance programmes for companies 1.7. Discriminatory or flawed government procurement policies 1.8. Import bans 1.9. Determination of eligibility of an exporting country by the importing country 1.10. Determination of eligibility of an exporting establishment (firm, company) by the importing country 1.11. Occupational safety and health regulation 1.12. Multiplicity and Controls of Foreign exchange market 1.13. "Buy national" policy 1.14. Lack of coordination between government institutions 1.15. Other Category 2. Customs and administrative entry procedures 2.1. Government imposing antidumping duties 2.2. Arbitrary customs classification 2.3. Issues related to the rules of origin 2.4. Import licensing 2.5. Decreed customs surcharges 2.6. Additional taxes and other charges 2.7. International taxes and charges levied on imports and other tariff measures 2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures 2.9. Issues related to transit fees 2.10. Inadequate or unreasonable customs procedures and charges 2.11. Lack of control in Customs infrastructure 2.12. Lack of capacity of Customs officers 2.13. Issues related to Pre-Shipment Inspections 2.14. Other Category 3. Technical barriers to trade (TBT) Category 4. Sanitary & phyto-sanitary (SPS) measures Category 5. Specific limitations 5.1. Quantitative restrictions 5.2. Exchange controls 5.3. Export taxes 5.4. Quotas 5.5. Import licensing requirements 5.6. Proportion restrictions of foreign to domestic goods (local content requirement) 5.7. Minimum import price limits 5.8. Embargoes 5.9. Non-automatic licensing 5.10. Prohibitions 5.11. Quantitative safeguard measures 5.12. Export restraint arrangements 5.13. Other quantity control measures 5.14. Restrictive licenses 5.15. Other Category 6. Charges on imports 6.1. Prior import deposits and subsidies 6.2. Administrative fees 6.3. Special supplementary duties 6.4. Import credit discriminations 6.5. Variable levies 6.6. Border taxes 6.7. Other Category 7. Other procedural problems 7.1. Arbitrariness 7.2. Discrimination 7.3. Corruption 7.4. Costly procedures 7.5. Lengthy procedures 7.6. Lack of information on procedures (or changes thereof) 7.7. Complex variety of documentation required 7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues 7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure 7.10. Other Category 8. Transport, Clearing and Forwarding 8.1. Government Policy and regulations 8.2. Administrative (Border Operating Hours, delays at border posts, etc.) 8.3. Immigration requirements (Visa, travel permit) 8.4. Transport related corruption 8.5. Infrastructure (Air, Port, Rail, Road, Border Posts,) 8.6. Vehicle standards 8.7. Costly Road user charges /fees 8.8. Issues related to transit Other Policy or Regulatory NTB Not a policy or regulatory NTB Check allUncheck all	Date of incident	Location COMESA Burundi Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Kenya Libya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Rwanda Seychelles Somalia Sudan Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe EAC Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Kenya Rwanda Somalia South Sudan Tanzania Uganda SADC Angola Botswana Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Eswatini Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles South Africa Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe COMESA EAC SADC	Reporting country or region (additional) COMESA Burundi Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Kenya Libya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Rwanda Seychelles Somalia Sudan Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe EAC Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Kenya Rwanda Somalia South Sudan Tanzania Uganda SADC Angola Botswana Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Eswatini Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles South Africa Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe COMESA EAC SADC	Status	Actions
NTB-000-325	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2009-09-09	Mozambique: Ministry of Home Affairs	Eswatini	Resolved 2010-11-22	View
Complaint:	Mozambique requires visas for swaziland business people
NTB-000-112	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2009-07-26	Namibia: Ministry of Home Affairs	South Africa	Resolved 2010-11-22	View
Complaint:	Work permits are required from consultants and business representatives even for one day visits.
NTB-000-398	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2011-02-22	Mozambique: Ministry of Interior - Immigration Department	Mozambique	Resolved 2011-09-19	View
Complaint:	Foreigners are required to have a biometric document, either visa or residence document. This document is issued by the Ministry of Interior. The fees for issuing such documents are substantially higher than the cost of issuing the actual document, given that a passport containing a number of pages is charged at a much lower rate than a visa or residence document, while a visa is a sticker in a passport and a residence document is a simple plastic credit card-style ID. In addition for any national that is not from a Lusophone country a surcharge is levied over and above the cost of issuing the document. There is no indication of what this surcharge is levied for, since it does not equate to the service of actually issuing the document (which is covered by the actual document fee).
Resolution status note:	Mozambique reported that there is no regional fee standard to benchmark with. Visas are issued by a private sector company. Ministry of Interrior does not therefore control the visa fees.
Products:	98: Reserved for national use
NTB-000-421	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues Policy/Regulatory	2011-07-07	Zambia: Chirundu	Zimbabwe	Resolved 2013-04-13	View
Complaint:	A comercial truck driver's trip was rejected entry into Zambia ,the driver was rejected entry after the expected required number of days (90) allowed entry into Zambia had expired within a period of 12 months . The company was required to pay ZK 2 million for a three month permit. The fees are too exhobitant especially for small scale transport companies. Visa restriction on the movement of commercial vehicle drivers on duty have been experienced in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.
Resolution status note:	Pursuant to the SADC transport Protocol signed by Heads of States on the 22nd August 1996 in Maseru, Lesotho and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Walvis Bay -Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor signed in March 2010 in Livingstone, Zambia, Zambia directed all Regional Immigration Officers to issue one (01) year Transit Permit to all Foreign truck drivers. The Truck Drivers permit is issued in aacordance to section 32 ,Border Pass and Transit Permit of the Immigration Act of Zambia implememnted from 09 December 2011.
Products:	1511.10: Crude palm oil
NTB-000-442	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2011-09-03	Kenya: Immigration Department	Rwanda	Resolved 2014-12-11	View
Complaint:	Lengthy procedures for issuing work permits by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania Immigration departments.As per BCI 2008 ,business take between 1-5 months to acquire work permits for workers sourced from another EAC country.Businesses are forced to employ locals who may lack required skills.
Resolution status note:	At the 16th EAC regional forum on non tariff barriers held in Kigali in December 2014, EAC Secretariat reported that the Kenya had abolished this requirement. This NTB is therefore resolved
NTB-000-452	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2011-09-03	Tanzania: Mbeya	Uganda	Resolved 2012-04-26	View
Complaint:	Tanzania Border posts charge Visa charges of US$ 250 for businessmen from Uganda.
Resolution status note:	At the 3rd meeting the Tripartite NTBs Focal Points and NMC Chairs held in Dar -es-Salaam on 19-20 April 2012, Tanzania reported that it does not charge visa from EAC members.
NTB-000-777	7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues	2017-05-05	Tanzania: Ministry of Home Affairs - Immigration	Uganda	Resolved 2018-05-12	View
Complaint:	Tanzania imposes Business visa fees of US$100 charged contrary to provisions of the Common Market Protocol
Resolution status note:	During the Senior Officials' meeting held in October, 2017 Tanzania reported that she would follow up with the relevant Authorities on the NTB of charging Business VISA fee for drivers and report back to the Regional Forum in March, 2018. During the 25th EAC Regional Forum on NTBs held from 9- 12 May 2018 Uganda reported that the requirement had been lifted and therefore the issue has been resolved.
NTB-000-246	7.7. Complex variety of documentation required	2009-09-08	Namibia: Revenue Authority	Namibia	Resolved 2012-04-26	View
Complaint:	Procedures for VAT (claim back) in Namibia are too complicated
Resolution status note:	At the 3rd meeting the Tripartite NTBs Focal Points and NMC Chairs held in Dar -es-Salaam on 19-20 April 2012, Namibia reported that customs only processess those refund applications accompanied by relevant documentation. The documents required are a completed NA66, a proof of export (SAD 500 that has been dully proceeded at the point of export) and the invoice that the goods have been obtained. This process was to verify that the goods are indeed obtained and exported. If any of these documents are outstanding customs has the right to refuse such payment. The Ministry of Finance, Customs Division was in the process of reviewing customs procedures and once this exercise is finalized the revised procedures will be posted on the customs website and will be made available to the public. The meeting accepted Namibia’s submission to resolve this NTB
NTB-000-363	7.7. Complex variety of documentation required	2010-02-10	Kenya: Kenya Revenue Authority	Zambia	Resolved 2010-11-22	View
Complaint:	Documentations requirements for exports to Kenya are too cumbersome (SGS invoice is issued after one month and you are charged inspection charges. With regards to import permits, Zambian exporter has to raise COMESA Certification and send to Kenyan importer before shipping the goods. This process takes more than 3 months.
Resolution status note:	Issue resolved through COMESA Customs and Trade Committee
NTB-000-933	7.7. Complex variety of documentation required	2018-10-12	Egypt: Port Said Sea Port	Mauritius	Resolved 2020-10-08	View
Complaint:	The Egyptian authorities require a number of lengthy and costly documentation for clearance of consignment at customs. The identified cumbersome documentation requirements are as follows: 1. All export documents must be signed and stamped by the exporter's legal representative 2. All export documents must be signed and stamped by the Prime Minister's Office of Mauritius (Apostille requirement) 3. All export documents must be signed and stamped by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius (Apostille requirement) 4. All export documents must be signed and stamped by the Egyptian Embassy in Mauritius 5. All export documents must be signed and stamped by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry Some products also require a Certificate of Origin issued by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry despite being already accompanied by a COMESA Certificate of Origin.
Resolution status note:	During the 5th Meeting of the COMESA Trade and Trade Facilitation Sub Committee held on 6- 8 October , Mauritius reported that the NTB had been resolved
NTB-001-069	7.7. Complex variety of documentation required	2016-09-15	Egypt: Chamber of Commerce Egyptian Embassy Ministry of Foreign Trade	Mauritius	Resolved 2025-10-08	View
Complaint:	A number of procedural requirements are currently impeding the exports of Mauritian products to Egypt. To that effect, the concerned authorities in Mauritius have made enquiries with a registered trader in Egypt and it has been brought to its attention that for an exporter to start trading with an Egyptian importer, the following documents, duly certified by the Chamber of Commerce and approved by the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, have to be submitted as per Ministerial Decree 43/2016: i. A registration form by the legal representative of the factory or authorised person; ii. A certificate of legal status of the factory and the issued license of the factory; iii. A list of products of the factory and their brand; iv. The brand of the product and the Trademark produced according to a license from the owner; v. A certificate that the factory has a Quality Control System from a recognised body of The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) or the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) or from an Egyptian or Foreign Government body approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade. The authorities in Mauritius consider that these procedural requirements constitute a Non-Tariff Barrier and in that regard contravene Article 49 of the COMESA Treaty. We would appreciate that the authorities concerned in Egypt review these procedures in order to facilitate trade in line with the spirit of the COMESA Treaty.
Resolution status note:	Egypt has approved the accreditation of Mauritius Standards Bureau (MSB) as a government entity to issue quality management system certificates, as required for registration by Ministerial Decree No. 43 of 2016. The NTB can now be marked as 'Resolved'
NTB-000-424	6.6. Border taxes	2011-07-04	Kenya: Malaba	Uganda	Resolved 2011-08-29	View
Complaint:	Effective July 2007 to date Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) imposed a Plant Import Permit (PIP) of KShs 500 on every truckload of Uganda tea in transit to Mombasa, reason that they have to issue a Phytosanitary certificate when Uganda tea is being exported. However at this time Uganda tea is already sold off. This practice is contrary to international practice where the Phytosanitary certificate is issued by a competent authority in the country of origin in this case Uganda. The above practice also many times delays Uganda tea at Malaba due to making receipts, verification and clearing hence late for listing at Mombasa auction therefore making it less competitive.
Resolution status note:	At the NMC meeting held in Nairobi on 29 August 2011, Kenya reported that: 1. Kenya does not issue plant import permit to goods in transit. 2. If tea is specifically declared as in transit, Malaba border verifies documentation and release without charging import permit. However if declared for local consumption, permit is invoked.
Products:	0902.30: Black fermented tea and partly fermented tea, whether or not flavoured, in immediate packings of <= 3 kg
NTB-000-650	6.6. Border taxes	2015-02-01	Mozambique: Delegação Aduaneira de Ressano Garcia (Road)	South Africa	Resolved 2015-06-19	View
Complaint:	Good day. Terminal Operator at Ressano Garcia plans to enforce fees to all cargo vehicles for the utilization of Ressano Garcia with effect from the 16th February 2015. The fees as attached to this request are ridiculous as a truck weighing 28Tons with Imports to Mozambique is expected to pay no less than R3000 on each occasion they enter Mozambique via Ressano Garcia. The upgrades at the port were an investment to ease trade facilitation and I'm of the view that traders are not opposed to paying however the required amount is way high and unfortunately the end-user will end up carrying these costs the end of the day.
Resolution status note:	On 25 February 2015, Mozambique focal point confirmed that there has not been any fee set or fee charged for the use of the cargo Terminal of Ressano Garcia, since this matter is still under discussion internally. This NTB is therefore resolved
NTB-000-729	6.6. Border taxes	2017-01-01	Zambia: All Zambian Border Posts		Resolved 2018-01-25	View
Complaint:	Introduction of fees on all motor vehicles exiting and entering Zambia This measure will effectively increase transportation costs for both businesses and individuals. As a landlocked country which is primarily reliant on road transport, this will have major cost repercussions for all industry sectors and increase the cost of doing business, making Zambia less competitive. The Minister proposes to increase various user fees and charges to recover costs. This would include statutory fees and charges for services provided by government institutions. Unless the fee increases are matched by an increase in efficiency, this measure will have an overall detrimental effect. Effective date All of the above measures will take effect from 1 January 2017.
Resolution status note:	On 25 January 2018, Zambia Focal Point reported that this measure had not been implemented therefore this NTB is resolved
NTB-000-731	6.6. Border taxes	2017-01-01	Zambia: All Zambian Border Posts		Resolved 2018-01-25	View
Complaint:	Introduction of fees on all motor vehicles exiting and entering Zambia This measure will effectively increase transportation costs for both businesses and individuals. As a landlocked country which is primarily reliant on road transport, this will have major cost repercussions for all industry sectors and increase the cost of doing business, making Zambia less competitive. The Minister proposes to increase various user fees and charges to recover costs. This would include statutory fees and charges for services provided by government institutions. Unless the fee increases are matched by an increase in efficiency, this measure will have an overall detrimental effect. Effective date All of the above measures will take effect from 1 January 2017.
Resolution status note:	On 25 January 2018, Zambia Focal Point reported that this measure had not been implemented therefore this NTB is resolved
NTB-000-960	6.6. Border taxes	2020-06-05	Zimbabwe: Beitbridge		Resolved 2022-10-20	View
Complaint:	Zimbabwe has promulgated a new legislation S.I 127 of 2020 which proposes to charge amounts up to USD300 per entry of Beit Border Border Customs Yard meant for payment of the border post modernization and upgrade project. This charge is over and above the Bridge Toll of USD23 per entry and the ZINARA road tolls fees. The proposed charges are just too high and unsustainable, thus we seek their immediate suspension to allow for stakeholder engagement for their input.
Resolution status note:	The relevant authorities in Zimbabwe submitted report as follows : As a way of addressing challenges at Beitbridge Border Post Government made a decision to upgrade and modernise Beitbridge Border Post through a concession to Zimborders for a period of 17,5 years. Zimborders will invest US$296.7 million dollars into the project and will recoup their investment by collecting border user fees. This project will bring about the much sought efficiency at the border post by providing modern infrastructure and equipment such as terminal buildings, warehouses, weighbridges and scanners. There will also be automation of most processes and the introduction of a single window payment system bringing about convenience to transporters and the travelling public. The financing model used in this project (Built Operate Transfer), is a universal mode of project financing which can be applied to projects that are bankable where users are expected to pay for the product or service used. In this case, it is Government’s view that the charges are fair relative to the amount invested and the efficiency brought about by the investment. Removing the fee is asking the country to default on the Concession Agreement. Defaulting on agreements leads to country reputational risk and reduction in credit worthiness. The figure quoted of USD300 applies only for abnormal load vehicles. The fees are as follows. Type of vehicle USD Heavy vehicle 100,00 Goods vehicle 175,00 Abnormal (load) vehicle 300,00 Minibus 35,00 Coach 70,00
NTB-001-214	6.6. Border taxes	2024-10-01	Tanzania: Rusumo, Mutukula, Kabanga	Rwanda	Resolved 2025-11-25	View
Complaint:	Through Port Health at Rusumo, Kobero / Kabanga and Mutukula/Mutukula, the United Republic of Tanzania charges the Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi Trucks 5 USD or the equivalent in Tshs as Free Pratique which is not in the EAC legal framework for free movement of cross-border trade.
Resolution status note:	This charge is not discriminative.
NTB-000-194	2.2. Arbitrary customs classification	2009-07-27	Zimbabwe: Ministry of Industry & Commerce	Zimbabwe	Resolved 2011-03-01	View
Complaint:	The Zimbabwe tariff regime has a wide dispersion of import duty rates across the harmonised System. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and importers are often engaged in disputes over which tariff code to classify certain commodities. Where two tariff codes appear similar, ZIMRA officials would want to maximize revenue and classify commodities according the high revenue earning tariff. At the same time, importers classify commodities according to the lowest tariff rates in order to minimize costs. These tariff classification disputes act as a non tariff barrier which can delay the clearing of goods. Valuation of goods is done by senior Customs (ZIMRA) Officers who are not always available thus causing further delays.
Resolution status note:	Zimbabwe reported that Clear tariff resolution structures are in place. These start from station level up to National level. Importers of goods may escalate the disputes to Fiscal courts and ZIMRA may also seek the assistance of WCO tariff rulings.
NTB-000-220	2.2. Arbitrary customs classification	2009-07-28	Zambia: Zambia Revenue Authority	Zambia	Resolved 2010-11-22	View
Complaint:	The valuation of imported goods carried by Small cross border traders is not transparent. Customs officials rely on power to impound imported goods to make small scale cross border traders pay rather suspicious duties.
Resolution status note:	Zambia reported that she is using the WTO Customs Valuation procedure, and has an appeals mechanism to address complaints from the traders
NTB-000-395	2.2. Arbitrary customs classification	2011-02-11	Mozambique: "FRIGO" customs clearing in Maputo	Mozambique	Resolved 2012-03-27	View
Complaint:	Meat in brine imported from South Africa classified under tariff code 0210.20.00 being subjected to 15% import duty. We have been importing under tarrif code 0210.20.00 for 18 mnths without paying duty. Now a ruling was made on 11 February that duty of 15% is applicable.Mozambique customs does not agree with the tarrif code notwithstanding that this is the code accepted by South Africa as correct.
Resolution status note:	Mozambique confirmed that the duty applied on tariff cod 0210.20.00 is zero. Customs Authorities have rectified the problem and are not charging duty on the product.
Products:	0210.20: Meat of bovine animals, salted, in brine, dried or smoked

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