WTO Applauds Brunei's Trade Facilitation Measures, Tariff Rates
Brunei is making strides in easing its customs procedures, said the World Trade Organization in its review of the country, which took place in Geneva over recent days (here). The country’s e-Customs system has been operational since 2008, and Brunei’s single portal for customs clearance, the Brunei Darussalam National Single Window, launched in January 2014.
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The portal is edging closer to being able to process certificates of origin and import permits, the WTO report said. Brunei is also preparing to integrate the BDNSW into a single window for all of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
There are no customs fees or value-added taxes to import from or export to Brunei. The country does, however, impose import and excise duties, the WTO said. Goods manufactured in Brunei are subject to excise taxes, the government has said, according to the WTO. The country now puts new excise taxes on liquors, tobacco, vehicles, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, mechanical appliances and medical or surgical instruments, said the WTO.
The U.S. and Brunei are two of a dozen total Trans-Pacific Partnership countries currently negotiating a final pact. Brunei operates on the ASEAN harmonized tariff schedule, and the country's tariffs are generally low, said the WTO report. But Brunei does put restrictions on the export of rice, sugar and other agricultural goods to protect local supply, said the WTO.
The country is a net importer of agricultural goods, and import tariffs are often preferential or zero. The energy sector is Brunei’s largest industry, said the report.