The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has cleared the air on the Federal Government’s policy on the importation of vehicles older than 15 years.
The Public Relations Officer, NCS Tin Can Island Command, Uche Ejieseme, explained that bringing in overaged vehicles for personal use is not prohibited and that such vehicles are only prohibited if they are brought into the country to be resold.
Uche explained that according to schedules three and four of the Common External Tariff (CET), overaged vehicles are not prohibited when they are imported for personal use.
“I think it is important to draw your attention to schedule three and four of the CET. If you go to schedule three, it is talking about the first import prohibition list (trade) and if you go to schedule four, you will see absolute prohibition other than trade.
“If you say import prohibition trade, it means you cannot import such items in a commercial quantity. That will give the impression that you are coming to sell merchandise. In this instance, if somebody brings in an overage vehicle, it doesn’t qualify to be contraband because you are not bringing it for trade purposes.
“If you can decide to go and bring in a vehicle of any age for your personal use by the provision of import prohibition list III, you are free to bring it in. But when you bring it in 10 to 20 units, it has contravened schedule III of the CET,” he explained.
He stressed that this window is what allows for occasional one or two overaged vehicles to be cleared at the ports, indicating that NCS assumes such importers are bringing the vehicles for personal use and not for trade.
