TUNIS - All the Algerian industrial products entering to the Tunisian market will be exempt from customs duties and charges having equivalent effect, by virtue of a preferential bilateral trade agreement which ensures a list of Tunisian products with the same advantages when entering the Algerian territory, the Prime Ministry announced on Saturday.
The agreement adopted by November 6 Cabinet meeting, is part of achieving economic integration and aims to forge ahead on the path of setting up a free trade zone between the two countries, through reinforcement of partnership, trade exchanges and incentive to joint investments.
By virtue of this agreement, a second list of Tunisian products will benefit of a reduction by 40% on customs duties and charges of equivalent effect upon entry to the Algerian territory, according to a communiqué of the Prime Ministry.
Algerians undertake in compliance with the agreement's provisions, to make this list of Tunisian products benefit of additional reductions a year after the entry into force of the agreement. They are the same advantages offered by both countries to the European Union products.
Besides, the agreement plans the start of negotiations on the possibility of making the remaining Tunisian goods benefit of reductions on customs duties after a year after the entry into force of the mentioned agreement.
As regards agricultural products, both sides agreed to postpone discussions on the trade liberalisation of these products and other industrialised agricultural products by five years. However, two lists of Tunisian goods will benefit of total exemption within the framework of annual quotas.
The agreement laid emphasis on the need to accompany local products exchanged between the two countries, with "a certificate of origin," issued from the specialised authority of each State and will be authorised and controlled by the same authorities of the recipient State.
It was agreed also to create a Tunisian-Algerian joint trade co-operation commission gathering representatives of concerned sectors and will be tasked with implementing the contracting parties' commitments regarding products' exchange.
Besides, it will look at the demands of extending customs advantages to other products with the possibility of widening co-operation fields according to the development of the two countries' economies.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2013
