The Palestinian government, represented by the Ministries of National Economy, Finance, the General Administration of Crossings, and the Civil Affairs Authority, in cooperation with the European Union, announced the import of the first 40-foot container shipment coming from Spain through the Aqaba port to the Karama crossing.
In a statement, the Ministry of National Economy indicated that this initiative comes within the framework of implementing the government’s vision of achieving economic independence by diversifying trading partners, facilitating import and export procedures for Palestinian traders, stressing that this step reflects the government’s commitment to facilitating trade for the Palestinian private sector.
The Ministry praised the partnership with the Palestinian private sector and its efforts in implementing this initiative and its impact on creating new opportunities for trade with global and regional markets, and stressed the importance of benefiting from the initiative.
For his part, the Director General of Palestinian Crossings, Nazmi Muhanna, affirmed their continued efforts to facilitate this initiative and added that empty containers will be allowed to be imported into Palestine.
The Ministry indicated that the shipment, imported in 40-foot containers, is a shipment of nutritional supplements for children belonging to the Nestlé commercial company. It added that shipping was in accordance with the initial procedures in force; pointing out that European Union has provided support to facilitate handling (transporting the container) through the forklift.
The Ministry said that this comes as a culmination of the efforts made by the Palestinian government and the European Union to facilitate Palestinian trade across the borders with and across Jordan. It added that the pilot initiative for shipping goods with 40-foot containers began early this August and will continue for three months, subject to later evaluation and taking the necessary steps to achieve the best results.
The Ministry explained that under the initiative, a partial lump-sum support of $1,500 will be disbursed by the British government to merchants following the acceptance of shipping documents.
In turn, the European Union affirmed its commitment to promoting Palestinian trade, engaging with all parties in taking facilitation measures, removing restrictions and investing in infrastructure, thus improving the overall economic conditions and living standards for the Palestinians.
The European Union welcomed the first shipment of a 40-foot container through the Karama crossing, noting that shipping large containers is the next step towards facilitating trade on the border with Jordan, which helps to save time and money for traders and to improve the revenues for the Palestinian government. It stressed that European Union financing of new equipment at the crossing contributed to importing this type of cargo, as this equipment serves to lift large containers, and expressed hope that many other companies will benefit from this shipping method.
The Ministry of Finance indicated that this pilot initiative is important and a step in the right direction, noting that it can be developed to reach a Palestinian presence at the commercial crossings. It called on Palestinian merchants to use this initiative, stressing the readiness of Palestinian customs to take over their duties and overcome all obstacles for merchants.
For its part, the General Administration of Crossings affirmed its continued efforts to develop the infrastructure of the crossings and its impact on facilitating and improving the passage of goods at the Karama Crossing, which contributes to facilitating and alleviating the suffering of Palestinian merchants.
Source: Palestine News And Information Agency