RIYADH, 6 March 2004 — Australia has submitted draft guidelines for the resumption of livestock trade with Saudi Arabia in the hope of stemming its losses, Australian Ambassador Robert Tyson has said.
Canberra last year suspended export of livestock to Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom rejected a shipment of Australian sheep found to be contaminated, sending the 57,000 rejected animals on an epic journey of the region’s seas.
“This draft document, which is still to be finalized with the Gulf countries including the Kingdom, will ensure a greater degree of transparency and predictability, and will help to facilitate the livestock trade,” said Tyson.
Tyson said Australia’s livestock trade is continuing with many other countries in the region. “It is only suspended for the time being with Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The draft document will help to avoid a repeat of the Saudi-Australian debacle. Australia’s trade with Saudi Arabia was worth $124 million annually, making the Kingdom the largest market for Australian livestock.
Asked about the target date to resume livestock trade, the ambassador said: “We expect some discussions on this subject within a few months.”
The Kingdom consumes some 10 million heads of livestock annually of which 80 percent are imported.
Tyson said it was “for the Saudi government to decide” whether a quarantine facility here is feasible and practical. More than 40 Arab, African, Asian and European countries are on the list of countries whose livestock exports to the Kingdom are subject to strict quarantine.
The diplomat said that the Kingdom and Australia forged closer trade relations despite Canberra’s decision to stop exports of sheep. Premier of the state of Victoria Steve Bricks will arrive here on March 12 for a three-day official visit to further boost commercial relations.
