Libya Makes Digital Trade Registration Mandatory for Importers and Exporters
Libya’s Ministry of Economy and Trade has made registration on the Unified Digital System for Trade (PTS) mandatory for importers, exporters and foreign companies supplying goods to the Libyan market through local companies.
The measure, introduced under Decree No. 465 of 2026, is part of a wider effort to digitize foreign trade procedures and give authorities a more complete view of goods entering and leaving Libya. Registered businesses will receive a registration certificate and an electronic identification number known as a PTS Code.
New Registration Deadlines
The ministry has given businesses until 31 December 2026 to complete their registration. The system can be accessed through the PTS e-Trade portal.
From 1 January 2027, registration will become mandatory for foreign suppliers and exporters whose annual transactions or shipments to Libya are worth $1 million or more, based on the previous year’s activity and the cases covered by the decree.
The threshold will then fall on 31 March 2027, when the requirement will extend to foreign suppliers and exporters whose annual shipments to Libya are worth $100,000 or more. The phased approach gives larger international suppliers more time to comply before bringing a much wider group of businesses into the system.
Linking Banks, Customs and Ports
The PTS is designed to connect trade information across several parts of Libya’s commercial system. The Libya Trade Network will work on electronic links between the platform and banks, customs authorities, ports, free zones, chambers of commerce and industry, technical control centres and the country’s shipment verification and advance notification system.
The aim is to reduce repeated paperwork and allow authorities to verify shipments and trade information more efficiently. The system also builds on an earlier push to use digital tools to track imports and exchange shipping data electronically. Libya previously launched the PTS at Al-Khoms port as part of efforts to speed up import and export procedures.
For businesses, the change could eventually make trade procedures more predictable if the different systems are properly connected. Better access to reliable shipment data could also help customs authorities identify discrepancies and improve oversight.
But implementation will matter. Libya has tried several cargo registration and tracking systems in recent years, with earlier efforts facing resistance from parts of the business and shipping community. The latest system will therefore need to balance tighter oversight with practical procedures that do not add unnecessary delays or costs for importers and exporters.
The broader objective is to move Libya’s foreign trade away from fragmented paperwork towards a more connected digital system. If the PTS works as intended, it could give both businesses and government agencies clearer information on trade flows while making customs and shipment processing more efficient.
