Customs and Excise (Designation of Foreign Currency) Dutiable Goods) (Amendment) Notice, 2024 (No. 5)
From 1 August 2024, duty on imported cheese, shelled groundnuts, bulk chocolate, waffles, fruit juices, wine, leather clothing and accessories no longer has to be paid in foreign currency — it can be paid in local currency again.
Since 2018 a listed set of imported goods has had to be cleared with duty paid in foreign currency, under section 115(3) of the Customs and Excise Act and the Designation of Foreign Currency Dutiable Goods Notice, 2018 (S.I. 252A of 2018). This amendment takes fourteen tariff lines off that list with effect from 1 August 2024.
The goods removed are: fresh (unripened or uncured) cheese, including whey cheese and curd (0406.10.00); shelled groundnuts, whether or not broken (1202.42.00); other chocolate preparations in blocks, slabs or bars over 2kg or in bulk containers over 2kg (1806.20.00); waffles and wafers (1905.32.00); other preserved fruit and nut preparations (2008.99.00); other orange juice (2009.19.00); other citrus juice (2009.39.00); other apple juice (2009.79.00); other fruit, nut or vegetable juice (2009.89.00); mixtures of juices (2009.90.00); other wine (2204.29.99); other articles of apparel and clothing of leather (4203.29.00); other leather clothing accessories (4203.40.00); and other articles of leather or composition leather (4205.00.00).
The practical effect for importers is a cash-flow and sourcing one: duty on these lines no longer has to be settled in hard currency, which removes the need to hold or source USD purely to clear the goods. It does not change the rate of duty itself — only the currency in which it must be paid.
Importers and clearing agents should note the date carefully. The notice takes effect on 1 August 2024, one day after the 31 July 2024 Extraordinary Gazette, so entries lodged before that date were still caught by the foreign currency requirement.
What changed
- Fourteen tariff lines are removed from the list of goods whose duty must be paid in foreign currency
- Cheese, shelled groundnuts, bulk chocolate, waffles and wafers, and preserved fruit preparations are removed
- Orange, citrus, apple and other fruit juices and juice mixtures are removed
- Other wine (2204.29.99) is removed
- Leather apparel, leather clothing accessories and other leather articles are removed
- The change takes effect on 1 August 2024
Who this affects
- importers of dairy, confectionery, fruit juice and wine
- clearing agents lodging bills of entry for food and beverage imports
- importers of leather clothing and accessories
- groundnut traders and processors
- retailers and wholesalers stocking imported foodstuffs
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.