Egypt, UAE impose new regulations on agri imports

Egypt and the UAE will impose new regulations on the trade of agricultural products between the two countries, according to Al Mal. The regulations, which Agriculture Minister Ezz El Din Abou Steit and UAE Ambassador Gomaa Mubarak agreed upon yesterday, stipulate the six-month suspension of trade with exporters whose shipments are rejected for sanitary reasons. All exporters will be required to submit a phytosanitary certificate and a product lab analysis to the Agricultural Quarantine Authority. Repeat violations will result in the exporter bearing the shipment costs and facing suspension for another six months. The new regulations will be applied on fruits and vegetables shipments sourced from both countries. Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been imposing new regulations on shipments of Egyptian agricultural products after several shipments were found to contain high levels of residual pesticide.