In August 2024, following publication in the GCC Technical Secretariat’s Official Gazette (Vol. 47, 20 August 2024), the GCC Member States, included Oman, imposed definitive anti-dumping duties for five years on imports of electrical connectors, switches, sockets and plugs for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts (HS 853669, 853650, 85444291, 85444221) originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China; the duty rates range from 11.3% to 42% by exporter.

Art. 16 of the Tender Law provides that public tenders in Oman may be conducted as either local or international tenders. However, foreign companies lacking an Omani representative are restricted from participating in local tenders. As per Art. 23, international companies and institutions not yet registered in Oman are eligible to participate in international tenders, on the condition that they complete registration in accordance with the relevant regulations within thirty working days following notification of bid acceptance.
It is reported that many international companies opt to form agency agreements with local companies, allowing the local agent to represent them in the tendering process

Art. 47 of the Tender Law states that the State can use limited contracts in cases the nature of the contract requires restricting the participation in the tender to specific suppliers, contractors, or consultants within or outside the Sultanate who satisfy the required conditions.

Art. 36 of the Tender Law provides that local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may benefit from a bidding preference in government tenders within a price margin of up to 10%. It is reported that, for most major tenders, Oman invites bids from international firms or from firms pre-selected by project consultants, but that in recent years the authorities have shown a preference for awarding contracts to local community contractors and Omani SMEs. Some companies also report delays in award decisions, in some cases extending over several years, as well as instances in which tenders are reopened with modified specifications and short deadlines.

Oman applies an In-Country Value (ICV) policy in government procurement. It is reported that both Omani and foreign companies are required to allocate at least 10% of the contract value to local procurement of goods and services and to the training of Omani nationals, and that bidders’ ICV commitments are taken into account in tender award decisions. However, the underlying legal instrument establishing this ICV policy has not been found online.
Decision No. 174/2023 issuing the Regulation Governing Local Content further operationalises these requirements. Under Art. 4 of the Decision, the Directorate must set local content obligations for contracts exceeding OMR 3,000,000 (approx. USD 7.8 million) and may review local content requirements prepared by relevant authorities for contracts valued between OMR 500,000 (approx. USD 1.3 million) and OMR 3,000,000 (approx. USD 7.8 million), depending on the nature of the contract. Pursuant to Art. 5, such requirements must, in light of each project’s characteristics, address (i) the development of national human resources and the creation of job opportunities, and (ii) the local sourcing of products, based on value chain and supply chain analysis, in order to support existing local products and develop small and medium-sized enterprises. In all cases, local content requirements must be prepared in accordance with the procedures and controls established by the General Secretariat.

Oman is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2001.

According to Royal Decree No. 50/2019, foreign investment is prohibited in those activities included in a so-called “negative list.” Ministerial Decision No. 209/2020 of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP) establishes this negative list of investments, which restricts foreign participation in specific sectors to safeguard national security interests. The list currently comprises 128 activities, including the retail sale of mobile phones, their accessories, and telecommunications service cards licensed in the Sultanate.

Morocco has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Morocco has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Morocco has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is MAD 1,213 (approx. USD 120), below the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Registration of the ".ma" domain name is unrestricted. However, it is required that an administrative contact who must be a natural person established in Morocco manages the domain name with the registrar and Telecommunications Authority (ANRT). According to Art. 27 of ANRT/DG Decision No. 02/2024 of 24 Rejeb, the holder of a “.ma” domain name, whether domiciled in Morocco or abroad, must be represented by a natural person, designated as the administrative contact and duly mandated for that purpose. Where the holder is a natural person, they may act as their own administrative contact. The administrative contact must be established in Morocco and must provide a valid postal address and email address to the service provider, which are used for official communications between the ANRT and the domain name holder.

Law No. 31/08 on the protection of consumers, promulgated by the Royal Decree No. 1-11-03, provides a comprehensive consumer protection framework that applies to online transactions.

According to Art. 13 of Law No. 53-05, relating to the electronic exchange of legal data, the import, export, supply, operation, or use of means or cryptographic services is subject to a prior statement and prior approval from the authority.
Moreover, pursuant to Art. 46 of Law No. 43-20 on Trusted Services for Electronic Transactions, in order to safeguard national defence and state security, the import, export and supply of cryptographic means, as well as the provision of cryptographic services, are subject to regulatory control. Specifically: (i) a prior declaration to the national authority is required where the sole purpose of such means or services is to authenticate a transmission or ensure the integrity of electronically transmitted data; and (ii) prior authorisation from the national authority is required where their purpose differs from that set out in point (i) above.