Yemen’s General Chambers of Commerce and Industry Union and the Sanaa Chamber of Commerce, with the latter operating under the reign of Iranian-backed Houthi militias, warned of an impending catastrophe befalling Yemenis after militias had set up customs control offices to collect a 100-percent-rate tariff on trucks loaded with goods coming from sea and land ports.
The Yemeni Chamber of Commerce and Industry also warned that the introduction of such unconstitutional measures could represent a change in the customs lines adjacent to the political borders of the Republic of Yemen and the consolidation of the separation process between the two parts of Yemen. One part being headed by the internationally-supported government led by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the other controlled by Iran-allied Houthi militias.
In a statement distributed to media outlets on Saturday, the chambers said that the union “deplores the illegal and unconstitutional measures imposed by the so-called customs control offices on trucks loaded with goods coming from some land and sea ports—namely those coming in from government-controlled ports.”
It was reported that the cargos have been seized by Houthi militias February 13 and remain in lockup until now.
According to the statement, the new customs departments, called "customs control offices" in Al-Bayda, Dhamar, Amran and Sanaa forced thousands of cargos, trucks and all commercial transporters to verify all customs procedures through their posts for examination, inspection and valuation.
The Union called for an immediate halt to these measures, saying that it could directly harm Yemeni consumers.
It also said that forcing importers to pay a 100 percent rate in new fees is a clear violation of the law that will cause the loss of purchasing power of consumers, increase already extreme poverty and encourage smuggling.
