Customs Department rejected customs service to vessel loaded with sanctioned products, Revenue Service says
Georgian Revenue Service announced Monday that Customs Department rejected customs service to Turkish-flagged freight vessel because the cargo came from a sanctioned company.
The Revenue Service explains the ship was allowed to enter Batumi port on June 26, as neither the vessel nor its owner was on the international sanctions list.
“As per law, the Customs Department requested all documents and found out that the oil products on the ship belonged to the sanctioned company. Therefore, the ship was denied customs procedures. At the moment, the ship is leaving the Batumi port,” reads the statement by Revenue Service.
The agency pledges to act under Georgian legislation and international agreements and continue strict customs control.
“Unfortunately, any issue related to sanctions becomes a subject of misinterpretation,” Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili echoed the developments.
“Georgian agencies act with prime responsibility. The customs authorities refused to accept such a cargo,” Davitashvili added.