Algerian government announces stricter import regulations
The government has decided on the 10th of June to establish a new commission charged with reinforcing controls on imports at the borders, whilst imposing stricter health regulations.
According to government-friendly ObservAlgerie, the decision was taken during an interministry council, presided by the Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb. This meeting was focused on the implementation of a national system of border control.
The main goal of these new restrictions would be to protect the local producers and products from unfair competition with international brands. The new commission in charge of this operation will be under the supervision of the Health Ministry, and the Ministry of Internal Commerce and Regulation of the International Market. Its main mission will be to propose different concrete measures to elevate the coordination of different offices in charge of controlling imports.
The government aims to use resources efficiently to analyse imported products, particularly in the case of quality control. The customer’s health is said to be one of the main motivations, wanting to restrict access to the Algerian market for unhealthy products which do not fit Algerian regulations.
The new commission is also tasked with elaborating new norms that would target specific products which are usually less impacted by these laws. For importers, these new regulations translate into more paperwork, or even as far as changing components of products themselves. Border controls for products also become an economic tool, allowing sheltering of the Algerian market, and enabling economic measures aimed at protecting the country. One question remains unanswered: how does the Algerian government plan to implement these new measures, and how long will these new regulations take to come into force?
Algeria’s main exports come from France, with important imports of wheat. Countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and the US for soy and agricultural products remain important.
ObservAlgerie, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
