Eng. Ashraf Ismail, Chairman of the Egyptian General Organization for Standardization and Quality, received Mr. Samir Abu Al-Nasr, Secretary-General of the Arab Federation of Customs Clearance Agents, at the organization’s headquarters in Cairo.
The meeting addressed several Arab economic issues important to the Arab citizen, introduced the Federation, its goals, activities, and steps taken recently through communication with various entities, institutions, companies, and individuals in Arab countries.
Mr. Samir Abu Al-Nasr emphasized the need to activate the Agreement on Facilitating Trade Exchange between Arab countries by paving the way toward unifying standards and quality, and achieving mutual recognition of inspection and conformity certificates among Arab countries.
Abu Al-Nasr also proposed discussing procedures for re-inspection of products within the laboratories of the importing country to reduce the customs clearance time for shipments exported between Arab countries, and stressed the necessity to reach agreement on customs tariff subheadings and avoid differences in standards for the importing country, given the existence of inspection and conformity certificates granted by the General Organization for Export and Import Control for exported products.
Eng. Ashraf Ismail called for the establishment of an “Arab Quality Mark,” as this mark would facilitate the smooth and rapid circulation of goods and products within Arab markets and customs outlets, and would be a key support component in the Arab economic unity.
Ismail added that standards in any country set a minimum threshold for products or goods, and that it is within the right of any country to add requirements beyond these standards according to its geographical nature and consumption patterns. He also pointed out that one of the problems hindering import and export processes is inspection certificates issued by companies and laboratories not registered with the Organization or international bodies.
Attendees included from the Arab Federation of Customs Clearance Agents: Mr. Omar Shawqi, Assistant Secretary-General; and from the Egyptian General Organization for Standardization and Quality: Eng. Hanan Ahmed Azmi, Technical Office Manager to the Chairman of the Board.
