Dubai Customs has extended the suspension period for customs duties on certain goods by a further 60 days, bringing the total exemption window to 180 days for businesses handling re-export, temporary admission and transit shipments.
The extension applies to suspended duty statuses that expire after February 27, 2026, and run through to October 31, 2026. It covers three categories of trade: goods imported for re-export, goods temporarily admitted into the country, and goods moving in transit in all its forms.
Why the exemption was extended
Dubai Customs said the move is designed to reduce the financial and administrative burden on customers, keep supply chains moving, and support the flow of trade at a time of operational challenges. By pushing back the point at which duties become payable, companies handling re-export and transit consignments get more time to complete their processes without the duty obligation kicking in early.
This latest move builds on Customs Notice No. 12/2026, issued in June, which had already extended deadlines for suspended duty cases. That earlier notice granted a 120-day extension and benefited 6,613 companies whose customs declarations covered import for re-export, temporary admission and transit.
Part of a wider trade support push
The latest extension follows a broader package of economic support measures introduced earlier for traders operating through Dubai. Under that package, companies were allowed to pay customs duties in instalments, financial penalties were cut by 80 per cent, and more than Dh79 million in liquidity was made available to 428 companies. Transit periods were also extended from 30 to 90 days, and consignments were permitted to move through Khorfakkan, Fujairah and the Hatta Border Crossing.
Dubai Customs has also been developing physical trade infrastructure to support these flows. Its Green Corridor, a route linking Dubai with Oman through Hatta, handled more than 203,242 containers and over 3.16 million tonnes of goods worth Dh33.9 billion between March 1 and June 30, with shipments arriving from 188 countries.
What it means for businesses
For companies that rely on Dubai as a re-export and transit hub, the extended exemption offers extra breathing room before suspended duties fall due, at a time when Dubai Customs says supply chains are under operational strain. Combined with the instalment options, penalty reductions and border crossing flexibility introduced earlier, the latest 60-day extension adds another layer of support aimed at keeping goods moving through Dubai's ports and land borders without added financial pressure on the businesses that depend on them.
Reported by Khaleej Times.
