Jordan Times
Sunday, March 7, 2004
By Khalid Dalal
AMMAN — Jordan has joined eight Arab countries in abolishing procedures requiring authentication of certificates of origin for commodities and cargoes exported and imported among Arab countries.Ministry of Industry and Trade Secretary General Farouq Hadidi told The Jordan Times on Saturday that the decision, effective from the beginning of this month, will help the Kingdom enhance the volume of trade with Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon and Kuwait.
The step will also result in reducing the cost incurred by Jordanian businessmen when exporting and importing to these countries.
Before the decision, which came in line with a recommendation from the Arab League's Economic and Social Council, Jordanian merchants used, for example, to go and authenticate certificates of origin for goods they intend to export to Egypt at the Egyptian embassy in Amman.
“Cancelling such process will result in saving merchants' time and money and in giving their exports more competitive privileges,” said Hadidi, who voiced hope that more Arab countries will implement the Arab council's recommendation.
Following suit and endorsing the council's recommendation by all 22 Arab countries, added Hadidi, will help boost inter-Arab trade volume which currently stands at 10 per cent when compared to Arabs' trade volume with the whole world.
Figures showed that the inter-Arab exports reached $14.6 billion five years ago out of total exports of $134 billion, while inter-Arab imports reached $12.6 billion out of $147.5 billion total imports.