Algeria has asked the EU to put on hold a free trade agreement that was due to be signed this year as it drags its feet on customs reforms, an EU official said. Under the Association Agreement between the two countries, Algeria should have entered into an FTA with the EU in 2017 but has asked for three more years to prepare its customs for the deal. An EU official told AFP that Algeria failed to fulfill its commitments and that it was given more than 12 years to prepare itself since the signing of the Association Agreement. It all came after complaints in the Algerian media by economic operators and politicians who criticized the deal as detrimental to Algerian economy. Economists see that Algeria should have sought trade deals with its neighbors first before opening up to bigger markets such as the EU.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 09, 2020 13:52 UTC