--- title: "What Taxes and Fees Are Required for Dubai Transshipment Trade, and What Are the Specific Levy Rates for Each Item?" description: "Foreign trade traders planning an 800,000 RMB home goods order to be shipped to the US via Dubai transshipment are anxious after a peer lost half their profits due to hidden taxes and fees，worrying that taxes exceeding their 5% budget line will lead to order losses. The core solution is to prioritize transshipment through Dubai Free Zones，which exempts customs duties and VAT，with only a handling fee equivalent to 0.2%-0.5% of the cargo value. For an 800,000 RMB cargo value，the cost is only 1,600..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Entrepôt Trade Q&A" datePublished: "2026-09-30" dateModified: "2026-09-30" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 10 --- # What Taxes and Fees Are Required for Dubai Transshipment Trade, and What Are the Specific Levy Rates for Each Item? ## Question I am a foreign trade trader specializing in home goods exports based in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province. I just finalized an order for storage cabinets worth 800,000 RMB last month, which will be shipped to the United States via Dubai transshipment. I chose this route because I heard from peers that Dubai transshipment trade has low tax rates. But yesterday, a friend who does auto parts business told me he was charged tens of thousands of RMB in hidden taxes during a previous Dubai transshipment, and lost half of his profits directly. I panicked instantly! The shipping schedule is already set for the 10th of next month, and the goods are waiting in the warehouse to be packed. If the Dubai transshipment taxes exceed my estimated 5% cost line, this order will basically be for nothing. I am now eager to know: How much tax do I actually need to pay for Dubai transshipment trade? Are there any relief conditions for ordinary home goods? Will there be hidden taxes I haven’t considered? I’m really afraid of falling into a trap and losing a lot! ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer First，it should be clear that the tax and fee costs for Dubai transshipment trade mainly come from customs duties，VAT and port handling fees. The common misconception is that Dubai is fully tax-free，but in fact，only transshipment in free zones such as Jebel Ali can enjoy customs duty exemptions. If goods are cleared through Dubai local customs before transshipment，a 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties (with tariff rates ranging from 0% to 15% depending on the HS code) will be required. For optimized routes，**prioritize registering in Dubai Free Zones**. Transshipment goods do not need to go through local customs clearance，and only need to pay port handling fees and documentation fees equivalent to about 0.2%-0.5% of the cargo value，with customs duties and VAT fully exempted. If you must go through local clearance，you can apply for VAT deferral to delay the VAT payment to the final importing country，avoiding capital tie-up. For access thresholds: Transshipment in free zones requires prior registration and filing in the corresponding free zone，and complete transshipment trade documents (including bill of lading，certificate of origin，manifest，etc.) must be provided to ensure consistency between cargo flow and document flow. Profit ratio calculation: Taking your 800,000 RMB cargo value as an example，transshipment through a free zone only requires an operating cost of 1,600-4,000 RMB，saving at least 40,000 RMB or more in tax expenses compared to local customs clearance. Exclusive reminder: If the goods belong to sensitive categories (such as wooden home goods)，you need to confirm the animal and plant inspection and quarantine requirements of the free zone in advance to avoid additional quarantine fees. **status:** accepted **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 2 The tax collection for Dubai transshipment trade is directly linked to customs valuation. The customs core takes the "transaction value" as the valuation basis. If complete documents such as purchase contracts, commercial invoices, and bills of lading cannot be provided, the customs will assess the tax based on the market price of similar goods in the same period, which may lead to an overestimation of the cargo value by 10%-20%, resulting in overpayment of corresponding taxes and fees. In addition, the customs declaration form must clearly mark "transshipment trade". If it is incorrectly declared as general import, a 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties (tariff rates 0%-15% according to HS code) will be levied, and no retroactive adjustment is allowed. If the HS code is declared incorrectly, for example, wooden storage cabinets are incorrectly declared as plastic storage cabinets, it will not only lead to incorrect tax rate application, but also trigger customs inspection, resulting in additional costs such as detention charges and inspection fees. In severe cases, the goods may be detained for 3-7 days, affecting the shipping schedule. It is recommended to submit the HS code to a local Dubai customs broker for pre-audit to ensure compliance with transshipment trade declaration specifications. **status:** suggested **Author:** Cindy Chen **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 3 The logistics route of Dubai transshipment trade directly affects the tax cost. Prioritize the "China - Dubai Free Zone direct transshipment" route, where goods do not need to go through Dubai local customs clearance, and only need to berth at the free zone terminal to complete transshipment. The whole process only requires paying port handling fees and documentation fees, with customs duties and VAT exempted. If you choose the "local customs clearance in Dubai before transshipment" route, you will need to pay an additional 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties, as well as bear the storage fees and trailer fees of local customs clearance. In addition, the free zone's free detention period is generally 14 days. If you complete the bill of lading endorsement and manifest confirmation of transshipment goods within the free detention period, no demurrage charges will be incurred; if overdue, a demurrage charge of 0.05% of the cargo value will be charged per day. If overdue for more than 30 days, the goods may be auctioned by the customs. It is recommended to confirm the free detention period with the shipping company in advance, and make the transshipment bill of lading "to order" endorsement to ensure smooth transfer to the final consignee and avoid delaying transshipment due to bill of lading issues. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 4 The core of Dubai transshipment trade tax planning is to utilize the tax preferential policies of free zones. If you carry out transshipment business through a company registered in a Dubai Free Zone, the transshipment profits can enjoy a 0% corporate income tax policy, and no dividend withholding tax is required. If you directly carry out transshipment in the name of a domestic company, the profits repatriated to China need to pay supplementary taxes at a 25% corporate income tax rate, which is equivalent to an additional 25% cost. In addition, if goods are cleared through Dubai local customs, you can apply for VAT deferral to delay the 5% VAT payment to the final importing country (such as the United States), avoiding capital tie-up, which is equivalent to obtaining an interest-free loan. It should be noted that VAT deferral needs to be applied to the Dubai tax authorities in advance, and complete document chain of transshipment trade must be provided to ensure consistency between cargo flow, fund flow and document flow. Otherwise, the deferral qualification cannot be approved, and VAT and late payment fees must be paid immediately. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 5 The compliance of payment and receipt for Dubai transshipment trade directly affects tax collection and administration. If the amount and time of foreign exchange funds transfer do not match the cargo value and shipping schedule of transshipment trade, the Dubai tax authorities may deem it as false transshipment, recover the corresponding customs duties, VAT and a 5%-10% fine. It is recommended to use an offshore account opened in a Dubai Free Zone for payment and receipt, which not only exempts foreign exchange handling fees, but also directly connects to the local tax system, automatically matching the tax declaration data of transshipment trade and reducing compliance risks. If you choose CIPS RMB cross-border payment, you can avoid exchange rate losses caused by US dollar fluctuations, indirectly reducing costs by 1%-2%. It should be noted that complete document chains (including purchase contracts, sales contracts, bills of lading, invoices, etc.) must be retained for payment and receipt for verification by the Dubai tax authorities, and the verification cycle is generally within 6 months after the completion of transshipment. **status:** suggested **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 6 Tax risks of Dubai transshipment trade can be avoided in advance through contract terms. In the transshipment service contract signed with local Dubai freight forwarders or agents, it is necessary to clearly mark the "specific amount, levy standards and bearers of all transshipment taxes and fees (including customs duties, VAT, handling fees, etc.)" to avoid disputes over "hidden taxes and fees". If it is not clearly specified in the contract, once the freight forwarder charges additional fees, you will not be able to defend your rights through legal channels. In addition, a force majeure clause should be added, agreeing that if the Dubai customs suddenly adjust tax policies or introduce new restrictive measures, resulting in tax costs exceeding the agreed range, the two parties can renegotiate or terminate the contract without assuming liability for breach of contract. In addition, if your storage cabinets involve appearance patents, you need to file intellectual property rights with the Dubai customs in advance to avoid being detained for infringement, resulting in storage fees of 0.1% of the cargo value per day and a fine of up to 20% of the cargo value. **status:** suggested **Author:** Daniel Xu **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 7 On-site inspection of Dubai transshipment trade may incur additional taxes or costs. If transshipment goods are randomly inspected by the Dubai customs, as long as the documents are complete and the goods match the documents, only a container unloading fee of about 1,000-2,000 AED (about 1,800-3,600 RMB) will be charged, and no additional taxes will be levied. However, if the inspection finds that the goods do not match the declaration, for example, the declared goods are plastic storage cabinets but the actual goods are wooden storage cabinets, the customs will deem it as false transshipment, recover the 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties, and impose a fine of 5%-10% of the cargo value. In addition, if the cargo seal is damaged, the customs will suspect that the goods have been replaced, and will re-assess the tax based on the highest market price of similar goods in the same period, which may lead to a 20%-30% increase in taxes. It is recommended to record the entire process of loading the container with video, retain photos and numbers of the seals, and immediately contact the shipping company to issue a certificate if the seal is damaged during transportation to avoid being misjudged by the customs. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 8 The packaging compliance of Dubai transshipment trade may incur additional hidden costs. If your wooden storage cabinets use solid wood packaging and have not undergone IPPC fumigation and marked as required, the Dubai customs will require re-fumigation locally, incurring a fumigation fee of about 500-1,000 RMB, and delaying the shipping schedule by 3-5 days, resulting in additional demurrage charges. In addition, if the packaging materials do not meet Dubai's environmental protection standards, such as using lead-containing paint or non-degradable plastic packaging, an environmental protection tax of 1% of the cargo value will be levied, and the packaging that meets the standards needs to be replaced, resulting in packaging costs and labor costs. It is recommended to submit packaging samples to a local Dubai inspection institution for pre-audit to ensure compliance with IPPC fumigation standards and environmental protection requirements, and avoid additional costs. If there are metal parts in the accessories, they need to be clearly marked on the packaging to avoid being mistaken for dangerous goods by the customs and incurring additional inspection fees. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 9 The integrity of the document chain of Dubai transshipment trade directly affects the handling of domestic export tax refunds. If you cannot provide complete documents for Dubai transshipment (including transshipment bill of lading, Dubai customs transshipment certificate, customs clearance documents of the final importing country, etc.), the domestic tax authorities may deem it as false export and refuse to handle the 13% export tax refund, resulting in a loss of about 104,000 RMB (calculated based on an 800,000 RMB cargo value). In addition, it is necessary to ensure the consistency of "four flows": cargo flow, fund flow, invoice flow and contract flow. If the fund flow is directly paid from the final importing country to the domestic company instead of being transferred through the Dubai transshipment company, it may trigger tax verification, and the tax refund time will be delayed by 3-6 months, and the tax refund qualification may even be cancelled. It is recommended to confirm the tax refund requirements for transshipment trade with the domestic tax authorities in advance, prepare all documents in advance, and ensure the consistency of the "four flows" to avoid losing tax refunds. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-09-30 ### Answer 10 The cost of Dubai transshipment trade needs to be accurately calculated based on the cargo value, shipping schedule and final destination. Taking your 800,000 RMB cargo value as an example, the total cost of transshipment through a Dubai Free Zone is about 0.2%-0.5% of the cargo value, which is far lower than the tariff cost of direct shipping to the United States (the United States levies a 10%-25% tariff on Chinese home goods), with obvious cost advantages. However, if the cargo value is less than 500,000 RMB, the port handling fee ratio of Dubai transshipment will increase to 1%-2%, which may be equal to or even higher than the cost of direct shipping, and the route needs to be re-evaluated. In addition, you can link transshipment trade with inventory in the Dubai Free Zone. If you need to adjust the shipping schedule, you can store the goods in the free zone's bonded warehouse, with free storage fees for up to 90 days, avoiding demurrage charges. It is recommended to choose the FOB Dubai Free Zone trade term to transfer the terminal handling fees and loading fees to the US consignee, further reducing your own tax and operating costs. **status:** suggested **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-09-30 ## Related Categories - [Import Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/) - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/) - [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "What Taxes and Fees Are Required for Dubai Transshipment Trade, and What Are the Specific Levy Rates for Each Item?", "text": "I am a foreign trade trader specializing in home goods exports based in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province. I just finalized an order for storage cabinets worth 800,000 RMB last month, which will be shipped to the United States via Dubai transshipment. I chose this route because I heard from peers that Dubai transshipment trade has low tax rates. But yesterday, a friend who does auto parts business told me he was charged tens of thousands of RMB in hidden taxes during a previous Dubai transshipment, and lost half of his profits directly. I panicked instantly! The shipping schedule is already set for the 10th of next month, and the goods are waiting in the warehouse to be packed. If the Dubai transshipment taxes exceed my estimated 5% cost line, this order will basically be for nothing. I am now eager to know: How much tax do I actually need to pay for Dubai transshipment trade? Are there any relief conditions for ordinary home goods? Will there be hidden taxes I haven’t considered? I’m really afraid of falling into a trap and losing a lot!", "answerCount": 10, "upvoteCount": 3, "datePublished": "2026-09-30T16:37:41Z", "dateModified": "2026-09-30T16:38:01Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "First，it should be clear that the tax and fee costs for Dubai transshipment trade mainly come from customs duties，VAT and port handling fees. The common misconception is that Dubai is fully tax-free，but in fact，only transshipment in free zones such as Jebel Ali can enjoy customs duty exemptions. If goods are cleared through Dubai local customs before transshipment，a 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties (with tariff rates ranging from 0% to 15% depending on the HS code) will be required. For optimized routes， prioritize registering in Dubai Free Zones . Transshipment goods do not need to go through local customs clearance，and only need to pay port handling fees and documentation fees equivalent to about 0.2%-0.5% of the cargo value，with customs duties and VAT fully exempted. If you must go through local clearance，you can apply for VAT deferral to delay the VAT payment to the final importing country，avoiding capital tie-up. For access thresholds: Transshipment in free zones requires prior registration and filing in the corresponding free zone，and complete transshipment trade documents (including bill of lading，certificate of origin，manifest，etc.) must be provided to ensure consistency between cargo flow and document flow. Profit ratio calculation: Taking your 800,000 RMB cargo value as an example，transshipment through a free zone only requires an operating cost of 1,600-4,000 RMB，saving at least 40,000 RMB or more in tax expenses compared to local customs clearance. Exclusive reminder: If the goods belong to sensitive categories (such as wooden home goods)，you need to confirm the animal and plant inspection and quarantine requirements of the free zone in advance to avoid additional quarantine fees.", "upvoteCount": 3, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:39:36Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The tax collection for Dubai transshipment trade is directly linked to customs valuation. The customs core takes the "transaction value" as the valuation basis. If complete documents such as purchase contracts, commercial invoices, and bills of lading cannot be provided, the customs will assess the tax based on the market price of similar goods in the same period, which may lead to an overestimation of the cargo value by 10%-20%, resulting in overpayment of corresponding taxes and fees. In addition, the customs declaration form must clearly mark "transshipment trade". If it is incorrectly declared as general import, a 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties (tariff rates 0%-15% according to HS code) will be levied, and no retroactive adjustment is allowed. If the HS code is declared incorrectly, for example, wooden storage cabinets are incorrectly declared as plastic storage cabinets, it will not only lead to incorrect tax rate application, but also trigger customs inspection, resulting in additional costs such as detention charges and inspection fees. In severe cases, the goods may be detained for 3-7 days, affecting the shipping schedule. It is recommended to submit the HS code to a local Dubai customs broker for pre-audit to ensure compliance with transshipment trade declaration specifications.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:35:52Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Cindy Chen","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/cindy-chen/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The logistics route of Dubai transshipment trade directly affects the tax cost. Prioritize the "China - Dubai Free Zone direct transshipment" route, where goods do not need to go through Dubai local customs clearance, and only need to berth at the free zone terminal to complete transshipment. The whole process only requires paying port handling fees and documentation fees, with customs duties and VAT exempted. If you choose the "local customs clearance in Dubai before transshipment" route, you will need to pay an additional 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties, as well as bear the storage fees and trailer fees of local customs clearance. In addition, the free zone's free detention period is generally 14 days. If you complete the bill of lading endorsement and manifest confirmation of transshipment goods within the free detention period, no demurrage charges will be incurred; if overdue, a demurrage charge of 0.05% of the cargo value will be charged per day. If overdue for more than 30 days, the goods may be auctioned by the customs. It is recommended to confirm the free detention period with the shipping company in advance, and make the transshipment bill of lading "to order" endorsement to ensure smooth transfer to the final consignee and avoid delaying transshipment due to bill of lading issues.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:33:57Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The core of Dubai transshipment trade tax planning is to utilize the tax preferential policies of free zones. If you carry out transshipment business through a company registered in a Dubai Free Zone, the transshipment profits can enjoy a 0% corporate income tax policy, and no dividend withholding tax is required. If you directly carry out transshipment in the name of a domestic company, the profits repatriated to China need to pay supplementary taxes at a 25% corporate income tax rate, which is equivalent to an additional 25% cost. In addition, if goods are cleared through Dubai local customs, you can apply for VAT deferral to delay the 5% VAT payment to the final importing country (such as the United States), avoiding capital tie-up, which is equivalent to obtaining an interest-free loan. It should be noted that VAT deferral needs to be applied to the Dubai tax authorities in advance, and complete document chain of transshipment trade must be provided to ensure consistency between cargo flow, fund flow and document flow. Otherwise, the deferral qualification cannot be approved, and VAT and late payment fees must be paid immediately.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:32:02Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The compliance of payment and receipt for Dubai transshipment trade directly affects tax collection and administration. If the amount and time of foreign exchange funds transfer do not match the cargo value and shipping schedule of transshipment trade, the Dubai tax authorities may deem it as false transshipment, recover the corresponding customs duties, VAT and a 5%-10% fine. It is recommended to use an offshore account opened in a Dubai Free Zone for payment and receipt, which not only exempts foreign exchange handling fees, but also directly connects to the local tax system, automatically matching the tax declaration data of transshipment trade and reducing compliance risks. If you choose CIPS RMB cross-border payment, you can avoid exchange rate losses caused by US dollar fluctuations, indirectly reducing costs by 1%-2%. It should be noted that complete document chains (including purchase contracts, sales contracts, bills of lading, invoices, etc.) must be retained for payment and receipt for verification by the Dubai tax authorities, and the verification cycle is generally within 6 months after the completion of transshipment.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:28:51Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Tax risks of Dubai transshipment trade can be avoided in advance through contract terms. In the transshipment service contract signed with local Dubai freight forwarders or agents, it is necessary to clearly mark the "specific amount, levy standards and bearers of all transshipment taxes and fees (including customs duties, VAT, handling fees, etc.)" to avoid disputes over "hidden taxes and fees". If it is not clearly specified in the contract, once the freight forwarder charges additional fees, you will not be able to defend your rights through legal channels. In addition, a force majeure clause should be added, agreeing that if the Dubai customs suddenly adjust tax policies or introduce new restrictive measures, resulting in tax costs exceeding the agreed range, the two parties can renegotiate or terminate the contract without assuming liability for breach of contract. In addition, if your storage cabinets involve appearance patents, you need to file intellectual property rights with the Dubai customs in advance to avoid being detained for infringement, resulting in storage fees of 0.1% of the cargo value per day and a fine of up to 20% of the cargo value.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:14:37Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Daniel Xu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/daniel-xu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "On-site inspection of Dubai transshipment trade may incur additional taxes or costs. If transshipment goods are randomly inspected by the Dubai customs, as long as the documents are complete and the goods match the documents, only a container unloading fee of about 1,000-2,000 AED (about 1,800-3,600 RMB) will be charged, and no additional taxes will be levied. However, if the inspection finds that the goods do not match the declaration, for example, the declared goods are plastic storage cabinets but the actual goods are wooden storage cabinets, the customs will deem it as false transshipment, recover the 5% VAT and corresponding customs duties, and impose a fine of 5%-10% of the cargo value. In addition, if the cargo seal is damaged, the customs will suspect that the goods have been replaced, and will re-assess the tax based on the highest market price of similar goods in the same period, which may lead to a 20%-30% increase in taxes. It is recommended to record the entire process of loading the container with video, retain photos and numbers of the seals, and immediately contact the shipping company to issue a certificate if the seal is damaged during transportation to avoid being misjudged by the customs.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T17:07:02Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The packaging compliance of Dubai transshipment trade may incur additional hidden costs. If your wooden storage cabinets use solid wood packaging and have not undergone IPPC fumigation and marked as required, the Dubai customs will require re-fumigation locally, incurring a fumigation fee of about 500-1,000 RMB, and delaying the shipping schedule by 3-5 days, resulting in additional demurrage charges. In addition, if the packaging materials do not meet Dubai's environmental protection standards, such as using lead-containing paint or non-degradable plastic packaging, an environmental protection tax of 1% of the cargo value will be levied, and the packaging that meets the standards needs to be replaced, resulting in packaging costs and labor costs. It is recommended to submit packaging samples to a local Dubai inspection institution for pre-audit to ensure compliance with IPPC fumigation standards and environmental protection requirements, and avoid additional costs. If there are metal parts in the accessories, they need to be clearly marked on the packaging to avoid being mistaken for dangerous goods by the customs and incurring additional inspection fees.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T16:57:54Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The integrity of the document chain of Dubai transshipment trade directly affects the handling of domestic export tax refunds. If you cannot provide complete documents for Dubai transshipment (including transshipment bill of lading, Dubai customs transshipment certificate, customs clearance documents of the final importing country, etc.), the domestic tax authorities may deem it as false export and refuse to handle the 13% export tax refund, resulting in a loss of about 104,000 RMB (calculated based on an 800,000 RMB cargo value). In addition, it is necessary to ensure the consistency of "four flows": cargo flow, fund flow, invoice flow and contract flow. If the fund flow is directly paid from the final importing country to the domestic company instead of being transferred through the Dubai transshipment company, it may trigger tax verification, and the tax refund time will be delayed by 3-6 months, and the tax refund qualification may even be cancelled. It is recommended to confirm the tax refund requirements for transshipment trade with the domestic tax authorities in advance, prepare all documents in advance, and ensure the consistency of the "four flows" to avoid losing tax refunds.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T16:43:31Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The cost of Dubai transshipment trade needs to be accurately calculated based on the cargo value, shipping schedule and final destination. Taking your 800,000 RMB cargo value as an example, the total cost of transshipment through a Dubai Free Zone is about 0.2%-0.5% of the cargo value, which is far lower than the tariff cost of direct shipping to the United States (the United States levies a 10%-25% tariff on Chinese home goods), with obvious cost advantages. However, if the cargo value is less than 500,000 RMB, the port handling fee ratio of Dubai transshipment will increase to 1%-2%, which may be equal to or even higher than the cost of direct shipping, and the route needs to be re-evaluated. In addition, you can link transshipment trade with inventory in the Dubai Free Zone. If you need to adjust the shipping schedule, you can store the goods in the free zone's bonded warehouse, with free storage fees for up to 90 days, avoiding demurrage charges. It is recommended to choose the FOB Dubai Free Zone trade term to transfer the terminal handling fees and loading fees to the US consignee, further reducing your own tax and operating costs.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/dubai-transshipment-trade-tax-items-rates.html#suggestedAnswer-10", "datePublished": "2026-09-30T16:38:01Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Entrepôt Trade Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What Taxes and Fees Are Required for Dubai Transshipment Trade, and What Are the Specific Levy Rates for Each Item?"} ] } ] ```