Britain’s exit from the European Union (Brexit) would provide an opportunity for Algeria in the economic and trade fields due to expected changes in UK trade legislation after the completion of the exit process, estimated Wednesday In Algiers of Algerian and British officials.
The Brexit will certainly be a valuable opportunity to develop the Algerian economy and the Ministry of Commerce is studying ways to accompany Algerian economic operators, including producers, to take the plunge and export more to Britain after the Brexit, told the press the Director-General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, Abderrahmane Benhazil, on the sidelines of an information day on prospects and export opportunities after the Brexit, organized jointly by the National Agency (Algex), the Algerian-British Business Council (UKABC) and the British Embassy in Algiers.
To strengthen the legal instruments and mechanisms allowing a reframing of the Algerian-British cooperation in a bilateral framework, a new bilateral economic and commercial partnership agreement could see the light in the medium term, other officials say.
Algeria wants to refocus its trade relations with Great Britain in the medium term and it is in this sense that a new bilateral economic and trade agreement between the two countries could be envisaged, opening great opportunities not only in terms of Export to Algerian producers but also to British investments in Algeria, Algex secretary general Hocine Boubtina told reporters.
He stressed in this connection that Britain was an open market that offered multiple benefits to operators, especially those in developing countries such as Algeria. Once out of the EU, Algeria had better advantages than those currently granted under the EU, he said.
On the nature of nonhydrocarbon products that could be exported to Britain, he cited mainly agricultural products. For UKABC President Abderrezak Osmani, Britain is a country that imports more than it exports , And Algeria has good quality products at very competitive prices and should benefit from the withdrawal of this country from the EU, which will result in greater independence and freedom in trade, to boost Algerian exports Towards that country by organizing itself more internally.
In 2016, Britain, a market of 65 million inhabitants which is 2.5 hours flight from Algiers, was the 9th customer of Algeria with British imports of 1.13 billion dollars And its 12th supplier with Algerian imports of 765 million dollars.
Algeria’s exports to Algeria were down by 84% in value between 2013 and 2016 due to lower oil prices. Algeria, in addition to hydrocarbons (95%), exports to Great Britain Energy products, as well as agri-food, agricultural and packaging products.
== Great Britain commits to facilitate the flow of Algerian exports ==
Speaking at the meeting, the representative of the British Embassy in Algiers undertook on behalf of her country to facilitate the flow of Algerian exports, in addition to the flow of people through the easing of the delivery Of visas.
“The export potential in Algeria is enormous, but very few Algerian operators export to Great Britain. We are here (at this meeting) to know the operators, listen to them and see how we can facilitate their exports to our Country, “said Jackie Mullen, commercial attaché at the embassy before a panel of private exporters and industrialists.
For fruits and vegetables, for example, Britain imports more than five billion pounds sterling from countries and “we would like to import from Algeria which is geographically closer than many of our suppliers, She argued.
Referring to the question of visas, especially since several operators at the meeting complained of the visa refusals for Great Britain, she said that the ambassador himself was embarrassed by the recurring rejections which, however, International rules: “We are working on this issue of visas to try to find definitive solutions to this problem,” she said.
During the debates, operators, including exporters, questioned non-tariff barriers to exports to the country (including phytosanitary rules) and asked to review the quota system with that country.
Under Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, Great Britain and the European Union have two years, after the referendum on Brexit of 27 June 2016, to reach an agreement on the conditions for the exit of the EU, EU. After this period, and in the absence of an agreement, the United Kingdom would automatically leave the EU.
