Customs Role on Export

The exportation of goods from the Maldives is controlled by law and the policy governed by the Ministry of Trade & Industries to:

• Prohibit the export of certain goods either absolutely or conditionally; and
• Adequately record the international trade of the Maldives.

Goods that are conditionally prohibited from export may be exported based on an export permit/ license obtained from the Ministry of Trade & Industries.

Unless specifically exempted, goods may not be exported or loaded on a ship or aircraft for export, unless they have been entered for export on a completed documentary entry and Customs has given approval to export on this document.

Aircrafts may not depart from the Maldives unless Customs has approved on the General Declaration produced by the respective airline authority that contain approvals of all the relevant government authorities and ships may not depart unless Customs has issued a Port Clearance Certificate that contain approvals of all the relevant government authorities.

All the export entries are lodged directly to the relevant Customs offices on a completed Application for Export Cargo Examination (AFECE). The approval is principally done based on a permit/license issued by the Ministry of Trade & Industries. Information used to record the international trade of the Maldives is collected by the ACYCUDA++ system, as a Customs Declaration is completed against all the goods that are examined for export. This declaration may be lodged electronically directly into the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system or manually.

Cargo that is received for export is subject to Customs control and, as such, may be examined. Customs officers examine export cargo to:

• Verify the goods against entry details; and
• Inspect trade markings.

In short, Customs role in the exportation of goods is to:

• Ensure that all goods being exported from the Maldives are entered as required;
• Administer controls on behalf of the Ministry of Trade & Industries and the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources on the export of restricted goods and to prevent the export of prohibited goods; and
• Gather information regarding the nature and volume of exports to assist government and industry in policy and decision making.

Responsibility within Customs for Exports Role

Responsibility within Customs for its role in monitoring the exportation of goods is principally shared between the following areas:

The Documentation Section located in the Head Office in Male’. This section is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of nationally consistent policy, standards and administrative arrangements relating to import/export matters, including the review and implementation of the rules and regulations, and the delivery of high level advice; and

The Regional Customs Offices located in some areas of the Maldives. These offices are responsible for day to day operational import/export matters, including the manually lodged import/export entries, receiving and processing of Customs declarations, solving clearance problems, including the visiting passengers by yachts and answering general enquiries on import/export matters.

Export License

To export goods from the Maldives, an Export License (issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industries) must be lodged to Customs. Goods that does not exceed by 5 kilograms, a license does not require except for ambergris. To export any amount of ambergris, a license is required. Export License may be lodged to any of the following Customs offices:

• Export Documentation at Head Office;
• Air Cargo Documentation at Male’ International Airport; and
• Addu Atoll Gan Customs

A copy of the license must be lodged along with the original.

Export Declaration

Fish is the major export in Maldives(a) Goods intended for export must be notified on a Goods Declaration. Declarations may be lodged to any of the following Customs offices:

• Export Documentation at Head Office;
• Air Cargo Documentation at Male’ International Airport; and
• Addu Atoll Gan Customs

The following documents must be lodged with the Goods Declaration:

• Invoice (fob value)
• Packing List
• Health Certificate from the Public Health Lab (against fresh, chilled or frozen products that go to EU)
• Proforma Fish Export Form (against aquarium fish & grouper)

Goods Declarations may be lodged electronically, via electronic data interchange (EDI), direct trader input (DTI) or in a diskette. DTI centers are setup to facilitate customers’ access to the EDI system. A hard copy must be lodged, in addition to the above. Customs aims to provide 24 hours a day service for the electronic lodgment and manual lodgment may only be made during normal office hours, Saturday to Friday.

Certificates of Origin

• SAPTA Certificate – SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) is a scheme whereby a wide range of products originating in the SAARC member states are given preferential access to the markets of the SAARC.
• GSP Certificate – Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a scheme whereby a wide range of products originating in certain developing countries are given preferential access to the markets of the European Union. Maldives is one of the beneficiary countries listed among the Least Developed Developing Countries (LDDC) enjoying the GSP scheme.
• Certificate of Origin and Consignment for Exports is a certificate issued for the goods harvested from the Maldives to ensure that the goods are originated from the Maldives.
• Big Eye Statistical Document and ICCAT Swordfish Statistical Document is a program recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels. All Contracting Parties of ICCAT started this program and requires all bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna and swordfish, when imported into its territory, be accompanied by a validated Statistical Document.

The above documents will be validated by all the Customs offices where the Goods Declarations can be lodged.

Special Customs Invoice or textile visa invoice is a scheme whereby textile products originating in the Maldives are given preferential access to the markets of the United States of America. This document will only be validated by the Export Documentation at Head Office.

Export Cargo Examination

• Customs will examine the cargo on lodgment and registration of a Goods Declaration to Customs.
• Cargo will be examined after registration of a Goods Declaration at any location where a Customs office exists.
• After examination of the cargo, Customs will assess the Goods Declaration and release the cargo for export.

Exemption from Export Entry

• Personal or household effects of a passenger or crew of a ship or aircraft other than goods regarded as commercial consignments or are in commercial quantities.
• Goods that does not exceed by five kilograms, except ambergris
• Containers, whether empty or loaded that belong to a business in the Maldives and that are exported on a temporary basis to be re-imported; and
• Certain ships’ stores

Export Cargo Manifest

The shipping agents must lodge an export cargo manifest to Customs before their vessel leaves the country. A Customs Export Documentation validated cargo manifest is a document that requires obtaining the Port Clearance Certificate from the Customs Harbor Section. Vessels arriving under diplomatic immunity are exempted from this formality.

Customs Seal

Customs seal on export packages and coffins that carry human remains are arranged on a written request by the exporter. To export a human remain, the exporter must lodge the following documents to Customs:

• A photocopy of the remains’ passport
• A Death Certificate (from a government recognized hospital or health centre)
• A no objection letter from the next of kin of the deceased

Marine items allowed to export

• Ambergris
• Big eye scad (6 inches & above)
• Canned tuna
• Cyprea caputserpentis (cowries)
• Fish stomach
• Ground dried tuna
• Jelly fish
• Live fish (food fishes)
• Live tropical/aqarium fish
• Money cowries (cyprea moneta)
• Octopus
• Organ pipe coral
• Reef fish (dried, salted, frozen or chilled form)
• Sea cucumber
• Sea weed
• Shark fins
• Shark oil
• Shark skin
• Squid/cuttle fish
• Tuna varieties (dried or salted form)