Qatar Customs clarified country-specific tariff exemptions for chilled chicken and vegetables following recent tariff increases.
Qatar’s Amir has raised import duty on chilled chicken to 18% and on some vegetables to 15% in season, from 60 days after 16 September 20261.
In short, chilled chicken and some fresh vegetables shipped to Qatar will cost more to clear through customs. The higher rates apply to shipments cleared once the 60-day waiting period ends1.
What does Decree No. 45 change for chicken?
Article 1 of the decree raises the customs duty on chilled chicken to 18% on chilled chicken1. The higher rate covers the chicken items listed in Table No. (1) attached to the decree. Hukoomi, the Qatar government portal, also reports the rise to 18% for chilled chicken2.
New Qatar import duty, %
Which vegetables face the 15% duty?
Article 2 raises the duty on some farm products to 15% during the peak season1. The decree calls this the peak agricultural-production season. The exact months for each product are set out in Table No. (2) of the decree.
Where each higher rate applies
| Goods | Rate | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Chilled chicken (Table No. 1) | 18% | Once the 60 days end |
| Tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini (Table No. 2) | 15% | Only in the peak-season months listed |
The government portal names tomatoes, eggplants and zucchini among the vegetables covered2. It describes them as vegetables that Qatar also grows locally. Outside the listed months, the higher rate does not apply to these goods.
When do the higher duties on chicken and vegetables start?
The decree was published in the Official Gazette, Issue No. (17), on 16 September 20261. Article 3 says it comes into force 60 days after publication1.
From gazette to border
The General Authority of Customs, Qatar’s customs agency, told its port directors on 17 September 2026 to apply the decree once the 60 days have passed1. It did this in Administrative Circular No. (1367), signed by the authority’s chairman, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal.
How will Qatar Customs apply the new rates?
The circular sends a copy to the customs operations department. That department must take the needed action on Al Nadeeb, Qatar’s electronic customs clearance system1. Shipments are cleared through this system, so the new rates will show there.
The circular also asks the authority’s public relations department to publish the decree on the customs website1. The two tables of goods and dates are part of that published decree.
What legal basis does the Qatar tariff decree use?
The Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, issued the decree on the proposal of the Minister of Finance1. It builds on Customs Law No. (40) of 2002 and on Decree No. (98) of 2024 on the Integrated Customs Tariff, the list of duty rates for each product.
The decree follows two earlier changes to that tariff in Qatar: Decree No. (63) of 2025 and Decree No. (31) of 20261. Decree No. 45 was one of 16 legal texts in the same gazette issue2.
For a chilled chicken shipment, the duty due will be worked out at 18% once the 60 days end1. For tomatoes, eggplants and zucchini, the 15% rate will apply only in the months listed against each product in Table No. (2).
Sources
- ↩ Circular 1367.pdf https://www.customs.gov.qa/English/Legislations/Documents/Executive%20Resolutions/2026/Circular%201367.pdf
- ↩ HH the Amir Ratifies Package of New Decisions, Legislation Published in MOJ Official Gazette https://hukoomi.gov.qa/en/News/HH-the-Amir-Ratifies-Package-of-New-Decisions-and-Legislation-Published-in-MOJ-Official-Gazette