NYN | News
Commercial shipping at the Shahn land crossing — a vital trade link between Oman and Yemen through Al-Mahrah governorate — has come to a near-complete standstill for the second week in a row, following a surprise decision by customs authorities to double the customs tariff by 100%.
The decision, which significantly raised the customs dollar rate, sparked outrage among traders and importers, who described it as “arbitrary” and warned of severe consequences for consumer prices in Yemen, a country heavily reliant on imports.
According to trade sources, truck entry has been completely halted, except for fruit and vegetable shipments, which were forced to cross under the new rates due to the perishable nature of their goods.
The sources confirmed that the strike will continue until the decision is reversed or the increase is adjusted.
The Shahn crossing is one of Yemen’s most important land ports for incoming goods. Chambers of commerce had previously warned of the serious economic and humanitarian consequences of such a move, especially given the already dire conditions faced by the Yemeni population.
