Doha, Qatar: Qatar
has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led
countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha
officials said Saturday.
A directive from the
economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
Inspectors will
visit stores to ensure they comply with the order, the ministry said.
The government will
also try and stop products such as Saudi dairy goods from entering Qatar via a
third country.
Qatar’s Government
Communications Office (GCO) said it was trying to “protect the safety of
consumers”.
“Products
originating from blockading states, which as a result of the blockade cannot
pass the GCC customs territory, has to undergo proper import inspections and
customs procedures,” the GCO said in a statement.
“Qatar conducts its
trade policy in accordance with all of its multilateral and bilateral
agreements.”
The order comes just
days before the anniversary of a bitter Gulf crisis.
Since June 5 last
year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut all relations with
Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorist groups and having close ties with
Iran.
The countries
subsequently imposed a trade and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, which rejects the
charges and says the countries are seeking regime change in Doha.
The row has forced
isolated Qatar, which previously relied on its Gulf neighbours, to look
elsewhere for food imports, including Turkey, Morocco and Iran.
Many such imports enter
the country via ports such as Kuwait and Oman.
It is through these
ports, and also via individuals, that goods from the boycotting countries
manage to get in to Qatar, said a source with knowledge of the situation.
“Businessmen from
the blockading countries are trying to go around the blockade… by using third
parties,” said the source.
AFP
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