Postal And Shipping Companies Must Ensure Parcels Don't Contain Prohibited Goods

It has been stressed by the General Administration of Customs that shipping companies, postal services and maritime transportation are required to inspect parcels and check their contents, as the companies will be legally liable should any prohibited or restricted goods be found when confiscated.

Acting Customs Administration Director General Suleiman Al-Fahd issued customs instructions regarding additional controls for shipping companies, postal parcels departments, and marine transport within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, On November 27, 2021 during his meeting with the Union Customs Authority in response to the minutes of the Customs Procedures and Computer Committee meeting from September 70, 2021, he approved seven main controls based on the approval of the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee at its meeting No. 114 in November 2021), as well as improving the current procedures by requiring shipping companies, postal parcel companies, and maritime transport companies to undertake the following measures:

1 – Making the companies aware of their obligations under national laws and the procedures that must be followed when dealing with goods and materials prohibited or restricted.

2 – Employers must inspect parcels and check their contents, and if any smuggling or smuggling attempt is detected, or suspicious contents are discovered, they must notify customs departments and authorities. If they fail to do this, they may face legal responsibility if they find any restricted or prohibited goods.

3 – Commitment from companies when there are public or private warehouses involved in express mail, to create an operations room with surveillance cameras for customs departments and authorities, besides x-ray devices for parcel inspections in accordance with legislation in the member countries.

4 – Traveling between customs points using appropriate transportation methods. By using an electronic lock, if applicable, customs departments and authorities keep track of the means of transportation that are in transit through their operations rooms.

5 – Postal companies and customs authorities and administrations exchange information concerning postal consignments, including the type, class, and value of the goods, as well as the consignee's personal information, such as national identification.

6 – Automatic linkage of express mail company's mechanisms with customs authorities' risk management systems.

7 – Changing courier policies to require them to include details of the shipment path, number of goods, value, and weight.

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