SUDAN · MARKETS
Key Facts
- —The country Sudan is a Red Sea country in northeast Africa where the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have fought since April 2023.
- —What happened On Monday 19 October, Sudan’s Customs Authority raised its customs dollar, a fixed import pricing rate, 29.6% to 5,631.76 pounds per US dollar.
- —The numbers The old rate was 4,346.65 pounds per US dollar, while the parallel market was near 9,300 pounds per US dollar.
- —Why now Customs said it is keeping pace with the parallel market, and a Finance Ministry source cited a budget deficit and lost revenue.
- —What it means for you Exporters, aid groups and investors face higher duty bills in pounds on goods entering Sudan, and prices inside the country are likely to rise.
- —Still open Whether goods already in port get the old or new rate, and whether higher duty brings more revenue or fewer imports.
Sudan import duty costs rose 29.6% on Monday 19 October as the customs dollar, a fixed pricing rate, climbed to 5,631.76 pounds per US dollar. Importers pay duty on that pound value, so food, medicine and spare parts entering the war-hit country will cost more.
For US readers, higher Sudan import duty hits exporters, aid groups and investors who ship goods into Sudan or buy inside it. It also shows the pound sliding fast, with the dollar near 9,300 pounds per US dollar on the informal market, Radio Dabanga reported.
What the Customs Authority Changed
Sudan’s Customs Authority, the state agency that collects import duty at ports, airports and land borders, applied the new rate on Monday 19 October. It lifted the customs dollar to 5,631.76 pounds per US dollar from 4,346.65, a rise of about 29.6%, Al Arabiya reported.
The customs dollar is a fixed government rate, not a market rate, and importers pay Sudan import duty in pounds at that rate. Goods invoiced at US$1,000 are now valued at 5.63 million pounds (about US$1,000 at the customs rate) for duty, against 4.35 million before.
Radio Dabanga, a Sudan news service based in Amsterdam, and the Sudanese sites Darfur24 and Atheer News carried the same figures on 19 October. Al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned network, credited the Sudanese site Al Mashhad.
Why the Rate Keeps Climbing
Customs said the change keeps pace with the steady rise in foreign currency prices on the parallel market, the informal exchange market, Radio Dabanga reported. A Finance Ministry source told Darfur24 the aim is to close a budget gap and offset a shortfall in government revenue.
The same source criticised the move, Darfur24 reported. The rate used to stay unchanged for more than a year at a time under the general budget, the source added.
Sudan Tribune, a Sudan news site, reported rises to 3,222.8 pounds per US dollar on Friday 10 April and to 3,743 on Wednesday 8 July. It reported 3,960 on Tuesday 4 August and 4,346.65 on Saturday 12 September, so the rate is now about 75% above April’s level.
What Importers and Economists Expect
Dr. Haitham Fathi, an economist, told Radio Dabanga he expects import costs to rise at once and prices to climb by at least 30%. He warned of stagflation, meaning weak output and rising prices together.
Importers may cut or pause orders, he said, which could shrink the customs revenue the state is chasing. Darfur24 reported that some Khartoum shops have already suspended sales as buying power falls.
The National Importers Chamber, the trade body for Sudan’s importers, has opposed earlier rises. Its chairman, Al-Sadiq Jalal al-Din Saleh, described the impact of the April rise as “catastrophic” and said in September that rises cannot fix the pound.
How the Pound and the Customs Rate Have Moved
The parallel rate stood at 6,100 pounds per US dollar on 4 August and 8,800 on 7 October, Sudan Tribune and the Rio Times reported. Radio Dabanga put it near 9,300 on 19 October, a rise of about 52% since early August.
Over the same period the customs rate rose from 3,960 to 5,631.76 pounds per US dollar, or about 42%. The customs rate is catching up with the street price but remains about 40% below it.
What It Means for US Readers
Firms selling food, machinery or medicines into Sudan face buyers whose Sudan import duty bill is almost 30% higher in pounds. That can slow orders and payments, and aid groups buying supplies inside Sudan may see local prices rise.
Washington is weighing its Sudan policy, and a House bill filed on 13 October would link US farm and mining technology to civilian rule. Official gold exports reached US$2.292 billion in nine months, a trade the US Treasury says has financed one side of the war.
The pound’s slide is the backdrop, set out in the Rio Times report Sudanese Pound Slides to 8,800 a Dollar on 7 October. Since then the parallel rate has moved to about 9,300 pounds per US dollar, Radio Dabanga reported.
What Is Not Known
It is not clear whether goods that reached ports before Monday are charged at the old rate or the new one. The reports name no exemptions for food, medicine or aid cargo.
How much extra revenue the higher Sudan import duty bill will bring is also open, since importers may cut orders. Nor is it known whether customs will raise the rate again if the parallel rate passes 10,000 pounds per US dollar.
More: Sudan news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the customs dollar in Sudan?
The customs dollar is the fixed exchange rate Sudan’s Customs Authority uses to turn the dollar value of imported goods into pounds. Importers pay Sudan import duty in pounds on that value.
How much did Sudan raise the customs dollar?
On Monday 19 October the rate rose 29.6%, from 4,346.65 to 5,631.76 pounds per US dollar. For the same goods, Sudan import duty bills in pounds rise by the same share.
Why did Sudan raise the customs dollar?
Customs said it wanted to keep pace with rising foreign currency prices on the parallel market, Radio Dabanga reported. A Finance Ministry source told Darfur24 the aim is to cover a budget gap.
Will prices in Sudan rise?
Economist Haitham Fathi told Radio Dabanga he expects prices to rise by at least 30%. Importers and shops already face higher costs as the pound weakens.
Why does Sudan import duty matter to US readers?
Higher Sudan import duty raises the cost of sending food, machinery or medicines into Sudan and signals how fast the pound is falling. It also bears on US debates about aid, sanctions and Sudan’s gold and minerals.
Sources: Radio Dabanga, 19 October 2026; Darfur24, 19 October 2026; Atheer News, 19 October 2026; Sudan Tribune, April customs dollar rise, 10 April 2026; Sudan Tribune, August pound and customs rate, 4 August 2026; Sudan Horizon, Importers Chamber, 13 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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