Move to Lift Ban on Import of Food Products From 8 Countries

Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the General Customs Department have recently ratified three administrative decisions and six customs directives to lift ban on the import of food products from eight countries as against one decision that places embargo on the products, reports Al-Rai daily.

The ministry issued two decisions to lift ban on importation of all types of fresh, frozen, chilled and manufactured bird meats and their derivatives, in addition to egg from the states of Tennessee and Alabama, as well as Chile after declaring them free of bird flu.

On the contrary, the ministry has placed an embargo on the importation of all types of fresh, frozen, chilled and manufactured bird meats and their derivatives, in addition to egg — except those from Switzerland heated up to 70 degrees.

The decision was made because the country is battling bird flu outbreak. Meanwhile, the General Department of Customs has issued six directives out of which four are related to lifting ban from importation of all types of fresh, frozen, chilled and manufactured bird meats and their derivatives, in addition to egg, from Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Austria that have been declared free of bird flu.

The fifth directive is about lifting embargo from importation of all types of fresh, frozen, chilled and manufactured bird meats and their derivatives, in addition to egg, except those treated at over 70 degrees of heat, from the Philippines since the country is now free of bird flu.

Another customs directive was issued to raise embargo from importation of all types and varieties of flowers and cabbage from Jordan