The COVID-19 Pandemics’ Impact on Customs Valuation and Import Duties: An Israel Perspective, and a Wider Comparison

In the past year, due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), sea freight prices and domestic transportation costs have risen sharply, an increase that has not been seen for many years. This leads to a change in customs valuation. In most countries worldwide, collection of duties is based on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of goods, there, any increase in transportation costs, lead to additional collection of import duties. The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, however, impose duties on the free on board (FOB) value of goods, meaning, therefore, transport costs changes do not lead to additional import duties in those countries. COVID-19 effects on transportation costs are a global issue and may last for a long time. Therefore, governments that impose customs on the CIF value, should consider waiving the COVID-19 extra shipping costs, for customs valuation purposes, until we are back to a ‘normal’ period.