Need to set up Arab free trade zones urged

Arab states' trade experts have called for quick action to establish free trade zones among Arab states, as a first step toward setting up an Arab economic bloc.

Upon concluding the symposium under the title "trade and development in the Arab homeland," which was convened in Amman and organized by the Arab Union of Food Industries, the experts said the recent stage requires the establishment of an active economic bloc in light of the establishment of many economic blocs in the world.

The Arab experts called upon Arab governments to give preferential treatment to goods of Arab origin in trade exchange, and to cancel all customs duties which hinder the development of trade exchange among the Arab states. They also called for improving Arab food products' quality, decreasing production costs, establishing permanent, modern and developed transport lines which connect all Arab states to make the exchange of products easier.

They also called for reducing Arab food imports from abroad.