The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is informing importers and exporters that the Government of Malawi under the new Control of Goods Act of 2018 which became operational on 24th July, 2020 amended the list of goods requiring import or export license.
In view of this, the Authority is advising importers and exporters to attach a valid copy of import or export license when submitting declaration forms to Customs for goods that require license. Importers and exporters are required to apply and obtain import and export license from the Ministry of Trade before importing or exporting licensable goods.
Please, note that Customs shall reject all consignments of licensable goods presented without a valid copy of import/export license from the Ministry of Trade.
Below is the list of goods that require import or export license:
A. Goods for which an import permit is required:
1. Wild animals, Wild Animal Trophies and Wild Animal Products
2. Meat
a) Bovine and
b) Swine
3. Live Poultry, Day Old Chicks, Undressed and Dressed Poultry
4. Fish whether frozen, dried or live and eggs and spawn thereof
5. Table Eggs
6. Fresh Milk
7. Fruit and Vegetables (Fresh & Preserved) lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, rape, turnips, fresh beans, fresh peas, green pepper, fresh chilies, garlic, onions, carrots, beetroot, radishes, tomatoes, egg plants, Irish/sweet potatoes, bananas, mangoes, pineapples
8. Grain of any variety such as rice, barley, beans and groundnuts in all forms including meals, flours and residues
9. Maize:
a) Dried maize on or off the cob;
b) Crushed maize;
c) Samp
d) Maize grits;
e) Maize cones;
f) Hominy chop;
g) Maize offals; or
h) Processed maize meal with or without additives
10. Refined and Crude Cooking Oil
11. Cane Sugar
12. Bottled Water
13. Canned, Glass & Plastic Bottled Non-Alcoholic drinks exceeding three cases
14. Liquor in Sachets
15. Canned and Bottled Alcoholic drinks exceeding three cases.
16. Coarse and Table Salt
17. Cement
18. Soap:
a) Laundry bar soap and
b) Powdered detergent (loosely packaged detergent powdered soap weighing more than 15kg)
19. Matches
20. Plastic Products - below 60 microns
21. Second Hand Clothes exceeding one bale. Underwear (pants, bras) - strictly not to be imported
22. Second hand items:
(a) Kitchen utensils
(b) Refrigerators
23. Ball Point Pens
24. Fertilizer
B. Goods for which an export permit is required:
1. Implements of war (other than arms and ammunition), atomic energy materials of strategic value, and items of primary strategic significance used in the production of arms and ammunition and other implements of war, including the following- Beryllium; (c) tantalum (d) uranium (e) lithium (f) columbite Cobalt; (g) thorium (h) germanium; (j) titanium;( k) nickel; and any materials containing such metals.
2. Petroleum products
3. The following gemstones in the unmanufactured state –
a) Corundum
b) Garnet
c) Quartz
d) Tourmaline
d) Turquoise
f) Beryl
g) Zircon
h) Jade
i) Olivine
j) Feldspar
k) Topaz
l) Opal
m) Chrysoberyl
n) Spinel
o) Lazurite
4. Scrap Metal
5. Hides and Skins in processed and non-processed form
6. Rice, including: (a) rice meals; (b) rice bran; (c) rice residues.
7. Maize including:
a) Dried maize, on or off the cob;
b) Crushed maize;
c) Samp
d) Maize grits;
e) Maize cones;
f) Hominy chop;
g) Maize offals; or
h) Processed maize meal with or without additives
8. Raw round hardwood timbers
9. Sorghum
10. Soya beans
11. Cotton Lint and Seed
12. Oil seeds and residues from oil seeds
For more information, you may contact Chimwemwe Kawalewale on 0888345735 or ckawalewale@mra.mw or Steven Kapoloma on 0888986200 or skapoloma@mra.mw
John S. Biziwick
COMMISSIONER GENERAL