Beginning in March 2006, all Arab countries will participate in the Arab Customs Union (ACU), which is part of the Arab Free Trade Area, said head of the Trade and Development Department in the Arab League, Kamal Sanada, on Tuesday.
Sanada spoke at a conference in Cairo, devoted to developing customs issues in the Arab world. Thirty experts from ten Arab countries that participate in the conference have decided that a unified customs law must apply to all Arab countries, according to the Arab news portal Elaph.
During the conference, Egypt’s Finance Minister Yousuf Butrus Ghali criticized the low percentage of internal Arab trade, which “does not exceed 8.9% of the total foreign trade.” A speech on his behalf was delivered by Egypt’s head of Customs Interests, Galal Abu Al-Fatouh.
Al-Fatouh added, on behalf of Ghali, that much more merchandize should be traded among Arab countries.
The conference, which will close on Thursday, also discussed issues such as the role of customs in the globalization era; the Arab Free Trade Zone in light of global and regional blocs; and relations with the World Trade Organization, and the World Customs Organization.