Algeria: “Banks Lift Restrictions On Milk Imports”

The Ministries of Finance and Trade have taken new measures to lift restrictions on the process of importing milk powder and corn, with the aim of providing the two basic products in the market for milk blocks and oil factories, by easing import procedures and canceling the obligatory extraction of the document from the National Agency for Foreign Trade “ALGEX”.
In line with an instruction issued by the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions, bearing number 533, dated August 25th, addressed to banks, after the association received a letter from the Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion on the same date, signed by the delegated Secretary-General, regarding the file of importing milk powder and corn, it was decided that these two products are not subject any longer to the issuance of the certificate of the National Agency for the Promotion of Exports “ALGEX” for bank localization, nor the procedures of the digital platform, and the process affects all import steps that took place starting from August 1st.
This comes at a time when the Association of Banks confirms that these products are subject to other procedures for controlling import activity.
According to an instruction bearing numbering 534 signed on August 26, 2022, followed by the previous instruction, under the title “Clarifications on the process of importing milk powder”, issued by the Professional Association of Banks, with regard to the import of milk powder and corn, the decision to rescind the certificate issued by the National Agency for the Promotion of Exports is considered “Algex” for bank domiciliation, relates only to milk i.e. milk powder, not powdered milk.
This decision comes with the aim of providing a larger quantity of milk powder in the Algerian market, as well as the corn product for factories of oil and other foodstuffs that use the two substances in production.
The Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion had informed all economic dealers active in the field of importing products and goods destined for resale on the case, about the availability of an electronic platform for the national product, available to all sectors and economic dealers, that allows checking the availability of materials and products whose import into the national market is programmed.
Accordingly, all economic dealers active in the field of importing products and goods destined for resale are compelled, starting from the date of April 25, 2022, to submit verification requests exclusively through the electronic link designated by the ministry to obtain a document received by the agency “ALGEX” to be included in the bank settlement file to wrap up import procedures.
This document has previously faced extensive complaints from economic dealers, who have previously confirmed that they face great difficulties in benefiting from the bank localization process, due to the heavy procedures for securing the document from the National Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Trade, and thereby they demanded its cancellation, but their demands did not exclude only products, very important in the market, similar to the decision to exclude milk powder and corn from the mandatory document, to ensure that their import is expedited and also to ward off any scarcity in the national market.