A Kuwaiti trade delegation will visit Amman next week to discuss Jordan's freezing of exemptions on Kuwaiti imports as of earlier this month, reported the Jordan Times newspaper on Saturday.
Trade and Industry Ministry Secretary General Samer Tawil said the decision to halt exemptions, which had been in effect since 1992, was taken as the Kuwaiti authorities continued to collect tariffs on Jordanian exports to the emirate.
But a Kuwaiti embassy official said Kuwait does not exempt Jordanian goods since the 1987 bilateral trade agreement granting tariff exemptions on goods for both sides has not been approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.
The agreement was presented to Kuwaiti legislators for endorsement in 1992 and has been shelved since then, according to the official.
However, he told the paper that the agreement is expected to be approved soon.
The official said there was no direct reason for the delay in endorsing the agreement, but hinted that the chilly Jordanian-Kuwaiti ties during the early 1990s was a contributing factor.
Kuwait accused Jordan of siding with Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti source, who declined to be named, added that Jordan imposes diesel fees on Kuwaiti imports in violation of Arab transit agreements.
He said that these fees stand at around JD90 on each truck laden with Kuwaiti goods.
Transport Ministry Secretary General Alaa Batayneh said the fees are imposed on all trucks entering the Kingdom regardless of their origin, since diesel is subsidized in Jordan.
He added that despite the transit agreement, Jordan and Kuwait are not bound by a land transport deal for goods and passengers, a fact that was not refuted by the Kuwaiti official.
But the minister said that the government has contacted the Kuwaitis and informed them of the kingdom's readiness to conclude a land transport deal – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
