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Chamber Of Commerce Calls Arab Exporters To Trigger Boycott
CAIRO, April 27 (IslamOnline) - Moustafa Zaki, head of Exporters Department, chamber of commerce, Cairo, called all Arab countries to boycott U.S. and Israeli products and to buy local products instead.
The boycott has already initiated a slump in U.S. products, as consumers have already taken this step. The Egyptian consumer is repelled by the latest atrocities in the Israeli-occupied territories.
Zaki told IslamOnline Correspondent he discussed the possibility of a summit with Khaled Abou Ismail, Chief of the Federation of Arab Chambers of Commerce. The expenses of export has dropped this year to 16 billion dollars instead of 18 billions last year, thanks to the Palestinian uprising. Still, it is expected to take a nose dive.
Egyptians consume 6 million tons of wheat annually, that is $600 million, 90 % of which comes from America and the rest from Canada, Australia and France. Egypt can import wheat from any other place in the world, as the government now pays in cash, contrary to the previous policy of deducting from aids granted to Egypt.
Last year, Israel used to export $180 million worth of goods to Egypt. However, after the Palestinian uprising and the Israeli forces indiscriminate mowing down of Palestinian civilians, the fluctuation of Israeli products simply dropped to zero.
In the meantime, Egyptian police busted an attempt made by a businessman to smuggle Israeli products through an African country trying to benefit from the tax exemption COMMESA members have, but he was sentenced to three years in prison, police officials said.
The summit discusses the possibility of local alternatives. The Arab trade worldwide represents 2.7%, although it’s not that much, yet it can be an effective weapon if used wisely and properly.
The Egyptian consumer, through boycott, is voicing his anger and rejection of the American pro-Israeli policies. The boycott may not be effective enough; nonetheless, Arabs can pressurize and threaten foreign markets by this independence.
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