Lebanon struggling with world trade agreements

The French delegate to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Jean Paul Thuillier, emphasized the gains Lebanon could reap from its accession to the WTO, while acknowledging the need of taking into consideration the country specific interest while dispelling any concerns on the Lebanese side. Thuillier’s statement was made after his meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Tamam Salam, and the Economy Minister Dr. Alan Hakim. The latter underlined the importance of such accession, particularly that the WTO constitutes around 90% of global trade and includes some 162 member states and 20 observer countries. The WTO delegation later on met with the Industry Minister, Dr. Hussein Haj Hassan, who described Lebanon’s bad experiences with the Agreement for the Facilitation and Promotion of Intra-Arab Trade and the Lebanese-European Partnership Agreement. He pointed out to the negative outcomes of theses two agreements namely the fall of exports, and in growing trade deficit. He went on to say that these agreements have laid down a list of stringent trade requirements; at a time when Lebanon places no restrictions on countries members of these trade agreements. However, Haj Hassan said, that Lebanese officials and not Arabs or Europeans are to be blamed for the present situation and for giving too much in the course of negotiations. In a related vein, the National Economy, Commerce, Industry and Planning Committee endorsed two draft laws in a meeting held yesterday. The first gives permission to enter the Regional Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement in the framework of the Euro-Med Partnership Agreement and the second involves allowing the government to approve amendments introduced on Articles 8 and 18 of the Establishment of the Customs Cooperation Council Treaty. Lebanon, it should be noted, became member in the latter since 20/5/1960. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, March 10, 2016)