Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, rescinded a ban on 46 categories of imports on Wednesday, October 21, reversing a measure introduced in April to slow the pound’s decline and support local production.
Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim said on Thursday that the decision addressed consumer needs while keeping protections for domestic producers. Fruit, vegetables and legumes are also due to be exempted from customs duties, according to Sudan Tribune.
Reopening imports could increase supplies of goods that became scarce or more expensive under the ban. Traders and consumers reported initial price declines after the announcement, Dabanga said, although no data are yet available to measure their scale.
Implementation has yet to be formalised. The National Chamber of Importers asked Prime Minister Kamil Idris to issue a clear and enforceable order cancelling Resolution 74, arguing that the restrictions had disrupted markets and caused losses.
The shift comes as the dollar sold for SDG10,300 on the parallel market on Thursday, up SDG100 from the previous day. That depreciation could make foreign purchases more expensive as the country loosens its trade restrictions.
Annual inflation rose to 28.29% in September from 26.14% in August, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. Food and beverage prices increased 36.81% from a year earlier in an economy where war has fractured production and supply networks.