Dubai Customs extends duty-status deadlines and raises e-commerce exemption threshold

Dubai Customs has issued four customs circulars in June and July 2026 as part of the government's economic stimulus package. Under Customs Circular No. 12/2026, companies can benefit from a 120-day extension for pending customs duty statuses covering transactions whose original periods expire between 27 February and 31 July 2026. Other measures allow eligible companies to pay customs duties in instalments and benefit from reductions in eligible customs fines. Dubai Customs has raised the customs duty exemption threshold for e-commerce shipments from AED300 to AED1,000 of CIF value. The department has also launched a Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform that automates customs procedures linked to electronic orders, including automatic generation and submission of customs data, automated clearance of returned goods and automatic refunds of customs duties on eligible returns within 60 days. An Advance Ruling system enables traders to obtain binding customs rulings before importing or exporting goods, covering classification, rules of origin and customs valuation.