International Egg and Poultry Review

US - By the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - This is a weekly report looking at international developments concerning the poultry industry.
calendar icon 11 July 2007
clock icon 4 minute read

United Arab Emirates

The Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Dubai released an unofficial review of Dubai Decree #28/2007 establishing fees for fish plants operating in the UAE, Halal certifiers based in foreign countries and slaughter plants operating outside of the UAE.

The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi received a notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE dated June 12, 2007, informing the U.S. Government of the General Secretariat of Municipalities’ (GSM) plans to begin enforcement of the earlier decree. The notification also modified the previously announced fees, reducing the annual renewal fee for slaughter plants by 50 percent. Officials in the UAE indicate that the fees will be used to fund travel to foreign Halal certifiers for periodic reviews of certification processes. The fees will not be charged to domestic slaughter plants. However, local mutton and beef plants are government-run. Only the small number of local poultry plants are privately operated. The fees, in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham) are as follows:

  • Accreditation (Licensing) of Islamic Societies approving Halal slaughtering outside the UAE: AED 5,000 ($1,361)
  • Annual licensing of Islamic Societies approving Halal slaughtering outside the UAE: AED 1,500 ($409)
  • Accreditation of poultry & beef slaughter houses outside the UAE: AED 10,000 ($2,723)
  • Annual renewal of accredited poultry & beef slaughter houses outside the UAE: AED 5,000 ($1,361)

GSM officials confirmed that the fees are intended to cover the cost of the service associated with accrediting the Islamic Societies and slaughterhouses. A senior GSM official advised that this executive order was prepared to facilitate the application of the decree and encourage concerned parties to start paying the stated fees. ATO Dubai will continue to follow up with UAE officials to obtain more details about how the accreditation program will be administered. At this stage, it is not clear that all diplomatic missions have received a similar communication, nor is it clear how customs and municipality officials working at the ports will enforce this requirement. At least two meat-exporting countries have not yet received the revised notification.

For further information go to the ATO Dubai Website:
http://www.usembabu.gov.ae/atodubai.htm
Source: USDA/FAS GAIN Report

U.S. Poultry Exports to United Arab Emirates in metric tons
Comparisons
Jan-Apr

Source: Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics

Source: Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics

Source: Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics

U.S. Trade Policy

The U.S. presidential administration signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with Peru, Colombia, Panama and South Korea ahead of the July 1, 2007 expiration of the President’s Trade Promotion Authority. Agreements negotiated and signed under Trade Promotion Authority require Congress to vote either yes or no without adding any amendments, assuring trade partners that Congress will not make any changes to the agreement that had already been accepted.

Since these FTAs were finalized under the Trade Promotion Authority President Bush can submit them to Congress at a later date and Congress will be bound by the rules expediting debate and restricting amendments.

Days before it would expire, Congress passed and President Bush signed an extension of the Andean trade preferences for eight months. The four Andean nations are Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Source: BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest www.ictsd.org; Office of the United States Trade Representative; White House new release; various news wires

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