By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : The 13th meeting of the Arab League committee for country of origin formalities kicked off at the Arab League headquarters in the Egyptian capital to lay down the rules for exchange of goods under free trade conditions.
The five-day meeting, which started Sunday, is attended by representatives of the Ministries of Industry and Commerce in member states in the Arab League.
The meeting was held at the initiative of the Arab Economic and Social Council in order to reach common ground with regard to the country of origin formalities in line with the resolutions issued at the Riyadh Summit, which was held earlier this year and called for ending this issue by 2007 so the country of origin rules would become binding by 2008.
The advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Commerce and Industry Sayed Al-Bawji, who chaired the meeting, said several issues were discussed including how to treat products manufactured at some Arab free zones.
Another issue was country of origin requirements for goods and products that were not discussed so far.
“When an Arab customs union is reached, the rules of country of origin formalities will be changed,” Bawji said.