2010.03.02lgeria: 370 products added to the negative list of products imported by Algeria

The "negative list" of prohibited import by Algeria to the member countries of the Arab Free Trade Area (AFTA) has been revised upwards, January 15 last, to achieve 1511 products, has just 'learn the Algerian news agency APS with Algerian customs.

370 new products were added to the first list (1,141 products), applied by Algeria since the beginning of the year a total of nearly 6,000 products registered in the Customs Tariff Nomenclature Algeria.

It was conducted a review of the negative list, after recording complaints of traders, with the Ministry of Commerce, Customs Administration and the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACI), indicates the same source.

According to the Algerian daily Elmoujahid, the negative list, established by the CICA in collaboration with traders and endorsed by the Prime Minister, includes several categories of products that Algeria wants to ban the import of this area for a period of three to four years. These include "the production sectors that are threatened by these imports" that must be protected for a specified period such that the products of agribusiness, agricultural products, textiles, paper and paperboard, and home appliances. After a year of accession of Algeria to the area (January 2009), traders are calling for "a revision of the agreement" after finding that imports were a "real threat to their production," and even "a risk of closing their businesses, "according to statements by several entrepreneurs. This measure was taken in order to give more time for companies that have benefited from the upgrade to prepare for competition, said Trade Minister in a recent statement.

Furthermore, it should be noted that similar measures have been taken by other member countries of the Zale and many Arab countries had received a list of products banned from import in order to protect their domestic production. These include Morocco (804 products), Egypt (709), Syria (255), Tunisia (161), Lebanon (41) and Jordan (35), recalls on. In order to protect the national economy, Algeria had proposed the issuance of the certificate of origin of the product exported to the countries of the Zale is performed at the same instance in all Arab countries in contrast to what is currently where the document is issued in some countries by the Ministry of Commerce, in others by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. In this regard, the General Counsel to the General Directorate of Customs, Bourmad Mokhtar, had said recently that "Algeria has recommended the requirement for operators to export their products under the Zale, of mention all the details on the brand and origin of these products in their duty to identify the country of origin. " The official said, nearly 60% of goods transported through Zale does not include the country of origin for the clearance. Algerian exports to the Zale fell 49.44% from $ 246.7 million to $ 124.7 million in 2009. Imports, meanwhile, rose 46.6% to $ 1.6 billion. The shortfall in customs duties resulting from the granting of preferences to goods from countries of the Zale is estimated at 10.4 billion dinars, according to Customs

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