Bangladesh to Require Electronic Payments for Customs Fees

Bangladesh will soon require all customs fee payments to be made electronically, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported June 2. The ruling will apply to all fees greater than $23,500 as of July 1 and “regardless of amount” starting Jan. 1 The requirement will apply to fees associated with all the country’s air, sea and land ingress points, HKTDC said. Previously, only larger multinational and domestic companies were required to make electronic payments, which resulted in a mostly cash payment system that led to longer clearance times and added congestion at Bangladesh’s storage depots, the report said.