G/MA/W/149/Add.1  
12 May 2020 
(20-3548) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Market Access  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
MEASURES RELATING TO THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC:  
ELIMINATION OF LEVIES AND SIMPLIFICATION  
OF CUSTOMS PROCEDURES  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC  
Addendum  
The following  communica tion, dated  11 May 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
Dominican Republic . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1.1.  As follow -up to  the work that has been carried out with the World Trade Organization (WTO), 
I am pleased to inform the Organization of  the additional trade and preventive measures taken by 
the Directorate -General of Customs (DGA) due to the COVID -19 pandemic . 
1.2.  The DGA took additional measures with a view to facilitating the clearance of  goods at ports 
and reported  that it was therefore extending business  hours at the customs administra tions in 
Caucedo, Haina and Santo Domingo . This measure came  into effect on Thursday , 16 April, at the 
customs administra tion in Haina and on Friday , 17 April, at the ports in Caucedo and Santo Domingo , 
with hours now extended from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Moreover , the Ministry  of Finance  authorized the 
temporary suspension , from 16 April and for the duration of the state of emergency dec lared by the 
Government , of levies, the tax on the transfer of industrialized goods and services, and other duties 
and charges on items  under the following subheadings : 
Tariff 
subheading  Product  description  
8419.20.00  Medical, surgical or laboratory sterili zers 
2847.00.00  Hydrogen Peroxide , whether or not solidified with urea 
9022.12.00  Computed tomography apparatus  
9018.90.19  Other  
9025.11.10  Thermometers for clinical use  
 
1.3.  In early  April, the DGA adopt ed the following measures : 
1. Elimination of the surcharge  for late declaration (Art. 52 of Law No. 3489),  through an 
application  submitted to the customs administration . 
2. The period from Friday, 2 0 March  2020, until three working days after the lifting of the state 
of emergency will not be included when  calculating the number of days goods were kept at  
the bonded warehouse  for any purpose  (fiscal, re -export and cargo consolida tion). 
3. From 2 4 March , customs administrations  will not count  the days under lockdown  in the  period  
of time after which  goods are declared as abandoned . 
4. For procedures involving  digital signatures , support will be provided by email 
firmasdigitales@aduanas.gob.do  and by phone  as from 24 March . G/MA/W/149/Add.1  
- 2 - 
  5. From 24 March , the following applications can only be submitted  by email  
(info.corresporidenciayarchivo@aduanas.gob.do ): application s for the payment of tax under 
Law No. 253.42,  application  for exemption from the payment of t ax under Provision No. 7204, 
and WTO quota authorization  (technical rectification ). 
6. From 2 3 March , the administrations  will be open for payment s until 3 p.m. Users are therefore 
invited to make  payments electronically.  
7. The registration of i mporter s/exporter s, inclusion of  administrators and  access  authorizations 
may be carried out digitally from 23 March , provided that the requirements established by the 
DGA have already been met . Details of these requirements  can be found at 
www.aduanas.gob.do . Applications must be sent to unidadregistro@aduanas.gob.do . 
8. From 2 6 March , the administrations will stop clearing containers  at 5 p.m., due to  the curfew 
imposed by the Government . 
9. From 2 April and for the duration of the emergency, the collection of all import taxes via the 
Integrated Customs Management System will be temporarily  suspended on masks, clothing, 
medical  protective equipment and devices, machines and appliances required to combat the 
pandemic . 
10. With regard to the clearance of vehicle imports during this emergency , the DGA, in order  to 
minimiz e the risk of spreading the  corona virus and reduce  the presence of persons and 
taxpayers at its facilities  in the country's ports , has adopted  a number of measures  to facilitate 
the import of vehicles  that will take effect from 2 0 March . 
11. The Single Window  for Foreign Trade  continu es to operate  as usual. However, due to  
COVID -19 measures , assistance is  being offered remotely  as of 26 March . 
12. Institutions are accepting copies of plant and animal health certificates, which are being 
reviewed electronically . 
13. A number of resource s have been created to coordinate the granting of  authorizations in the 
Single Window for Foreign Trade, which enables im porters and export ers to schedule 
inspections (if neces sary) and monitor  the authorization process at the port . 
14. Customs administrat ors have been instructed to , as of 2 April, authorize the clearance , using 
tariff preferences,  of imports on goods from the European Community , without the submission 
of the EUR. 1 Movement  Certificate . This is subject to prior  evaluation of  the risk profile of the 
taxpayer  and the submission of a document in which the taxpayer  commits to provid ing said 
certificate when it i s subsequently issued.  
15. The risk analysis has focused on items  that are of key importance in the current circumstances , 
such as medicines and medical industry  products , with a view to  mitiga ting the risks of , 
inter alia, counterfe its and expired products . The same applies to the analysis of imports of 
high-risk products , such as contraband  cigarettes . 
16. An analysis of businesses with low -risk profile s is under  way in order to speed up the clearance 
of these businesses' goods , so that  efforts can be focused on cases  of a more sensitive nature . 
17. Through the World Customs Organization's Customs Enforcement Network Communication 
Platform , the task force  is keeping abreast of  the various modus  operandi  used internationally  
in order to gather  information on confiscations made  by other customs administrations . 
18. According  to information from  administrators at each border crossing, the transit  of goods is 
occurring twice  a week at land border crossing points . The goods in custody are c lothing , 
alcohol and juices . 
19. Vehicle -related applications will be handled remotely . It is hoped that t he following 
applications can be received by  email : applications  for payment of tax and clearance  of 
vehicles , applications for the correction of vehicle -related manifests or characteristics , and 
applications  for the clearance of buses. 
__________