Customs Duty, Surveillance Certificate and Certificate of Origin for Imported Raw Material

The customs duty rate applied to imports of polyethylene (PE, HS code 3901) and polypropylene (PP, HS code 3902) can vary depending on the material's natural/polymerized form, the country of origin and the Common Customs Tariff in force at the time. Since these rates can be updated over time, the exact, current rate should always be confirmed with a customs consultant at the time of import — the information given here is a general framework, not a fixed figure.

A surveillance certificate is a mechanism that allows the Ministry of Trade to monitor imports of a product when the volume or price level of those imports reaches a point that could harm the domestic producer. According to some sources, an additional surveillance fee may come into play for imports from certain origins (e.g. China) that fall below a specified unit value.

The surveillance certificate process is carried out through the Ministry of Trade's e-transactions system and generally requires documents such as an invoice/proforma invoice and a company identification form — in practice this is a process managed by the importer through their customs consultant.

In cases where measures such as anti-dumping duty or additional customs duty can be applied to a product, the certificate of origin must be declared and presented to prove that the imported goods do not come from a country subject to the measure. If the certificate of origin is missing or incorrect, the importer may face an unexpected tax burden.

The price and lead time of imported equivalents can vary depending on the source country and the customs/surveillance rules in effect at the time. We track the current situation and recommend the most suitable supply source for you (Petkim or an imported brand).