RIYADH, 1 January — The Customs Department will begin applying the new schedule for customs tariffs approved by the Ministry of Finance and National Economy today. The amended list is based on the reduction of customs duty to five percent as well as the guidelines of the Brussels-based World Customs Organization. The new list includes 419 additions and 353 deletions from the old list. The Supreme Economic Council decided last May to cut customs duties on imported products from 12 percent to five percent to strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy. The decision comes in the context of attempts by the Gulf Cooperation Council to unify its customs duties. (SPA)