Seven countries press Algeria to rescind list of prohibited items from import

Foreign embassies, business delegations and employers’ organizations from Europe and outside Europe have inquired about the recent import procedures, the list of foreign substances banned from entering the Algerian market, as well as about the validity of the decision to prevent bank settlements, and even the new rosters that listed import-restricted materials.

To this effect, seven countries have so far expressed concern about the import ban issue and the organization of foreign trade in Algeria.

After the recent woeful reaction of the French Ambassador in Algiers and that of the “ Medef” movement  “, which announced their displeasure  at the import ban, it was revealed during the Algerian-Turkish Business Council held 3 days ago at the Sheraton Hotel in Algiers that the authorities’  new measures to regulate the Algerian imports did not suit visiting Turkish President Tayyib Recep Erdogan, who called for the  raising of trade exchanges between Algeria and Turkey to  reach a volume of 10 billion dollars in the very near future.

He was preceded on the matter by the head of the French “Medef” movement who urged during his recent visit to Algeria the Minister of Industry and mines Youcef Yousfi  to ensure the lifting of the “hurdles” to  French goods in reference to  the list of 851 products banned from import, and he also  tackled the relevant  file with the President of the forum of heads of  national enterprises Ali Haddad.

For its part, Italy, which has repeatedly expressed concern about import licenses in the past two years, prefers now to press ahead with the imported Algerian gas file, as it inquired this time through its Embassy about the relevant procedures from the services of the Trade Ministry. 

Italy is currently  bracing to receive a number of Algerian businessmen in Naples, so as  to press on this important  file on the occasion of the upcoming Algerian-Italian business  seminar slated to be held on March 10th 2018.

Concurrently, the Trade Minister, Mohamed Benmeradi,  has conferred over the past week with a number of foreign Ambassadors posted here in Algiers on the ins and outs of the Algerian authorities’  decision to apply import restrictions on a myriad of products and materials  in order to curb the country’s state financial deficit and thereby to give a fresh impulse to the national economy through an enhanced local production  in all sectors of activity.