Importers: Ban and Restrictions Have Not Prevented Goods from Entering Sudan, Illegally

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon
The National Chamber of Importers confirmed that goods banned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry continue to enter the country through unofficial channels.
A statement issued by the Chamber on Monday said, “The decision to ban the import of 47 goods and restrict official imports has not prevented goods from entering the country; rather, it has pushed them towards unofficial channels such as smuggling and the leasing of import licenses.”
The statement indicated that the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s acknowledgment of the infiltration of substandard goods is official confirmation of what the Chamber had previously warned against in its memoranda.
The Chamber explained that the import ban policies have failed to achieve their primary objective of controlling the exchange rate, as the value of the Sudanese pound has declined by 52.5% in less than four months, with the dollar jumping from 4,000 to approximately 6,100 pounds.

It added that these policies deprived the state of customs duties, taxes, and oversight, and opened the door to official exemptions that harm fairness and competition. The state lost tax revenue, customs duties, and control over import quality and standards.
The Chamber reiterated its demand for the immediate lifting of the ban and a shift from a policy of prohibition and restriction to one of regulation, facilitation, and the implementation of risk management.
The Chamber called on the Prime Minister to separate the Ministry of Trade from the Ministry of Industry and establish an independent Ministry of Foreign Trade to develop exports and regulate imports.
It emphasized that protecting consumers and the economy is achieved through regulated official imports and activating the Standards and Metrology Authority, not through restrictions and imposing customs seizures.

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