Trade Ministry Orders Importers To Include Arabic Labeling In Products

Trade Minister, Bakhti Belaib, ordered the importers of the urgency in the definition of imported products through the labeling in the Arabic language, and requires the inclusion of the label in each product’s information, and asked them to put it in a place that enables the consumer to see the information in an acceptable manner, visible and legible and can not be erased.

Trade Minister’s instruction No. 741 dated December, 26,2016, which copy is available to Echorouk, said; “In the context of improving the business climate, particularly the trade-related aspects of cross-border and facilitating the administrative procedures for the control at the border level, and reduce the costs of importing countries, it was decided in an official capacity to allow importers to complete the labeling process within the national territory, on the level of economic operators’s warehouses, or other specialized institution, rather than forcing them to be placed in the outside before entering the product to the national market.

This instruction rushed economic operators to accelerate the development of the Arabic labeling on the products that are imported from abroad, as the process is done in a month term from the date of entry of the product, and it can also be extended to additional 15 days by the Provincial Trade Manager Director who is qualified regionally.

The process is subject to control by the concerned departments at the level of the border and provincial inspectorates, and can get a license after the approval of the Directorate of quality control and the suppression of fraud.

It comes after the Trade Ministry discovered a lack of commitment by importers regarding the Executive Decree No. 13 378 that set for the conditions of informing the consumer for a better protection.