Plan to create Arab Common Market by 2020

Cairo: The Committee on Arab Customs Union, a body of the Arab League (AL), on Monday started discussions on issues relating to the creation of a functional pan-Arab customs union by 2015 and an Arab common market by 2020.

During the committee's two-day, the UAE, represented by Alia Al Marmoom, Director of Customs Affairs at the Federal Customs Authority (FCA), and other member states, will be discussing an action plan and deadlines for resolving pending issues including a unified pan-Arab customs law.

Tamer Abdulaziz, Director of Regional Agreements at Egypt's Ministry of Industry and Trade, who chaired the committee's meeting, said the said law is still under consideration because of reservations on some of its articles.

The union seeks to issue a enact a pan-Arab customs tariff on trade with non-Arab countries, added Abdulaziz in statements on the sidelines of Monady's meeting.

Arab Customs Union was created by the Arab League at its 2009 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, which was held in Kuwait, with the aim of achieving a fully-functional Arab customs union by 2015 and an Arab common market by 2020 and increasing inter-Arab trade and integration.

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