Maldives Customs has announced that stricter pricing and valuation procedures for imported goods, introducing a more rigorous process for determining the declared value of commodities submitted for clearance. 

The move follows a meeting held on 17 December 2025, where SMEs briefed President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on the challenges they face, including concerns over overpricing in Customs valuation. During the meeting, business representatives requested that Customs accept invoice values supported by verifiable documentation, and called for reforms to address discrepancies in assessed values.

Customs stated that the revised system is aligned with the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, which establishes the principle that the primary basis for valuation should be the transaction value, the price actually paid or payable for the goods. Under the new approach, if a declared price is supported by valid and verifiable documents, it will be accepted as the transaction value.

However, Customs noted that if the declared value is more than 25 per cent higher than the supported invoice amount, the valuation will be automatically reviewed, even without a request from the importer. In such cases, an enhanced verification process will be carried out to confirm the accuracy of the proposed valuation. If the declaration is 25 per cent lower, assessments will continue to follow the existing three-stage review method already in place under current policy.

The institution stated that the adjustments aim to create a more consistent and accountable valuation framework, limit disputes at clearance points, and reduce the administrative burden on registered businesses.