Customs Duty/Import Tax:

Of the three wings of the NBR, Customs Wing is responsible for the collection of customs duties on all imported goods. At present International trade (Export-Import trade) is conducted through Dhaka, Chittagong, Benapole, and Mongla Custom Houses and a few Land Customs Stations. At the import level Customs Duty, VAT, IDSC, SD, Advance Income Tax, and Advance Trade VAT are imposed. Although law provides for Regulatory Duty, Safeguard Duty and Anti-dumping Duty,these are rarely applied in Bangladesh. Over the past two decades consistent efforts have been made to rationalize the tariff structure with a view to achieving greater trade facilitation. As a result we have now only 4 slabs of customs duty (0%, 6%, 13%, 25%) as against a couple of dozens of them prevalent in the recent past.

Customs department is also entrusted with the task of combating smuggling with the support and assistance of all law enforcing agencies of the country including Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guards, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansar and the Narcotics Control Department. There is a special agency in the Customs Department called Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, which plays an important role in anti-smuggling activities.

In order to make customs procedures more transparent and achieve more trade facilitation, a number of measures have been taken over the past few years. With the introduction of ASYCUDA++ and DTI (Direct Traders Input) automation in customs clearance has begun. As a result clearance of goods has been accelerated, procedures simplified, lead-time reduced and collection of revenue augmented. The changes that have been undertaken over the past few years have significantly increased revenue collection thereby enhancing NBR’s contribution to the national economy.

Exemptions from Customs Duty:

i) Capital machinery;

ii) Raw materials of Medicine;

iii) Poultry Medicine, Feed & machinery;

iv) Defence stores;

v) Chemicals of leather and leather goods;

vi) Private power generation unit;

vii) Textile raw materials and machinery;

viii) Solar power equipment;

ix) Relief goods ;

x) Goods for blind and physically retarded people; and

xi) Import by Embassy and UN.