The Syndicate of Poultry Producers, led by William Boutros, issued a warning on Tuesday, urging authorities to act swiftly to save local businesses now facing extinction. The reason is that Lebanese poultry products are banned from Arab markets, while similar goods imported from neighboring countries freely enter Lebanon duty-free.
“Most Arab states protect their production and reject our exports, Iraq recently imposed a ban,” said Boutros. Meanwhile, Lebanon continues to import large quantities of processed products, mainly from Arab countries, without collecting tariffs. He stressed the paradox, “These imports are often made from poultry that doesn’t even originate from those countries.”
Confronted with this unfair competition, the syndicate demands reciprocity: applying the same tariffs on Arab imports as on goods from other countries, and reintroducing import licenses temporarily until duties are enforced. Otherwise, the fragile local sector could collapse in its own market while being cut off from exports.
The syndicate expressed confidence that the relevant ministries will act quickly to safeguard an industry vital to the national economy.
Comments