JEDDAH, 20 March 2004 — Riyadh has lifted a ban on Egyptian meat and potato exports in return for Cairo canceling its anti-dumping tax on Saudi polypropylene and polyethylene exports, fueling hopes that trade ties between the two countries will improve.
The reciprocal agreement came following talks between Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. Hashim Yamani and his Egyptian counterpart Yousuf Boutros Ghali in Cairo recently.
Under the agreement Egypt will send a delegation to the Kingdom this month to meet with officials of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation to finalize the deal. Egypt wants a price undertaking from SABIC on the two products. “The two sides set out a mechanism to recognize conformity certificates endorsed by the two countries,” the Saudi Press Agency said. However, the Egyptians have to make sure that their potato exports to the Kingdom are free from diseases.
The agreement insists that the Saudis must expedite clearance procedures for Egyptian agricultural exports at the Kingdom’s ports.
The two countries also agreed to clear each other’s livestock exports if they are accompanied by health and veterinary certificates showing they are free from infectious diseases and good for human consumption.
A joint team will also study by mid-May prospects of achieving economic and industrial integration in various fields, especially the auto industry, in cooperation with Morocco and South Africa, the agency said.
The two countries plan to revive Saudi-Egyptian Business Council as part of a joint drive to boost bilateral trade estimated at $2.2 billion. Ghali visited the Kingdom in December 2003 and held talks with Saudi officials and businessmen.
Meanwhile, the GCC countries — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates — will hold a meeting on Monday to unify procedures for the customs clearance of food products.
The meeting in Kuwait will also discuss leaving bans on import of food and consumer products to the discretion of member countries.