Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABUDHABI52
2009-01-14 10:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAEG ON PROPOSED GCC FOOD IMPORT PROCEDURES

Tags:  EAGR ECON ETRD PREL USTR AE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6399
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0052/01 0141012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141012Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1994
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000052 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP (MASILKO),NEA/RA (SCOVITCH),AND EEB/TPP/MTAA
(RYAN)
STATE PLEASE PASS USTR (BUNTIN)
USDA (JON ANN FLEMINGS AND PETER TABOR)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD PREL USTR AE
SUBJECT: UAEG ON PROPOSED GCC FOOD IMPORT PROCEDURES

REF: 08 SECSTATE 134461

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000052

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP (MASILKO),NEA/RA (SCOVITCH),AND EEB/TPP/MTAA
(RYAN)
STATE PLEASE PASS USTR (BUNTIN)
USDA (JON ANN FLEMINGS AND PETER TABOR)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD PREL USTR AE
SUBJECT: UAEG ON PROPOSED GCC FOOD IMPORT PROCEDURES

REF: 08 SECSTATE 134461


1. (SBU) Summary: Econ and Agriculture officers raised reftel
talking points on GCC food import requirements with Ministry of
Foreign Trade Director of Trade Negotiations and WTO Department Juma
al Kait, who said that the UAEG was committed to adhering to its WTO
commitments and that he would raise U.S. concerns at an upcoming GCC
meeting on WTO issues. He also noted that the requirements can be
amended, despite previous approval by the GCC Council of Ministers.
EmbOffs also raised related trade issues such as biotech labeling,
legalization of export documents, Halal fees and GCC WTO
notification procedures. UAE food safety officials indicate that
they are now planning to implement the new GCC food import
procedures on a year-long trial basis starting in June of 2009. The
next meeting of the GCC Food Safety Committee is scheduled for
February 22-23 in Dubai, UAE. End Summary.


2. (SBU) EconOff and Agriculture Trade Office Director (ATO) met
with Ministry of Foreign Trade Director of Trade Negotiations and
WTO Department Juma al Kait on January 11 to raise reftel points
concerning Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Food Safety Committee
efforts to harmonize food import procedures. Al Kait indicated that
he had been in touch with regulatory officials in the UAE who
indicated that there were no imminent plans to implement the new
requirements. He noted that he understood that food regulators were
reviewing the foreign comments and considering revisions to the
proposed import requirements. (Comment: This squares with
information from the UAE General Secretariat of Municipalities who
indicate that the Food Safety Committee will meet again from
February 22-23 to review foreign comments. Regulators indicate that
they are now considering a year-long trial implementation of the
requirements beginning in June of 2009; after which the requirements
would be revised based on lessons learned during the phase-in. End
Comment.)


3. (SBU) ATO Director noted that some officials in the region

seemed concerned that prior approval of the requirements by the GCC
Council of Ministers (something that happened prior to the WTO
notification) was lending a sense of urgency to the implementation
process. Al Kait said that the regulations could and should be
changed if inconsistent with the UAE's WTO commitments. He stated
that the UAE is firmly committed to honoring its WTO commitments and
promised to raise the issue at a meeting of GCC WTO officials
January 12-14 in Riyadh.


4. (SBU) ATO Director provided a copy of the USG November 2009
letter to the GCC Secretariat regarding specific USG concerns and
promised to provide the comments on the "Bahrain 8" WTO
notification. EmbOffs noted that there were issues related to the
regionalization of disease outbreaks and rigid certification
requirements in addition to aspects of the document that were
problematic for U.S. regulators specifically. EmbOffs also stated
other foreign governments had raised concerns via the WTO comment
process and stressed that the USG urged GCC officials to align the
document with the provisions of the WTO SPS agreement and WTO
reference body guidelines. Al Kait said that the UAE did not want
to disrupt trade, but noted that certain situations, such as the
recent detection of melamine in Chinese dairy products, require
proper reaction from foreign regulators. ATO Director stressed that
guidelines and procedures exist for regulating exceptional food
safety situations and attempting to anticipate every eventuality in
the more routine unified procedures could be contributing to some of
the document's complexity.


5. (SBU) Al Kait seemed somewhat surprised that only Bahrain and
Oman had notified the WTO of the unified import procedures. EmbOffs
said that we understood that Bahrain had notified the WTO on behalf
of the GCC, but EconOff noted that GCC members are required to
individually notify the WTO. As the GCC is not a member of the WTO,
each GCC member is obliged to notify individually. Al Kait replied
that he was aware of cases outside the GCC where a single country
had notified the WTO on behalf of others in a region or group and
questioned whether the practice was inconsistent with WTO
procedures. He also noted that not all notifications apply to all
GCC members. EconOff promised to obtain further information about
USG understanding of WTO notification requirements.


6. (SBU) Al Kait asked if the USG had raised concerns about the
cost associated with the legalization of U.S. export documents.
EmbOffs replied that this issue was raised as part of our comments
on the unified import procedures and continues to be costly and time
consuming for U.S. exporters, a process particularly problematic for
exports of perishable food products. (Comment: Eliminating the
requirement to legalize documents, whether by GCC diplomatic
missions or Arab American chambers of commerce, would serve to
simplify the export process. Food exporters are charged as much USD

ABU DHABI 00000052 002 OF 002


600 per document and often face two-week delays in obtaining the
required legalization. End Comment.)


7. (SBU) Al Kait asked if there were any issues related to
genetically modified (biotech) foods and the unified import
procedures. EmbOffs indicated that this was not an issue, but asked
if he had any specific concerns about biotech crops or foods. Al
Kait said that some of European countries had stressed the
importance of labeling biotech foods, arguing that consumers have a
right to know what they are eating. ATO Director provided a brief
overview of the concept of substantial equivalence, the U.S. and
Codex positions on labeling, recent ATO biotech outreach efforts in
the GCC and the rapid adoption of biotech crops in certain corn and
soybean exporting countries. EmbOffs further stressed the
importance of looking to Codex for guidance on this issue and
offered to provide additional information if desired. (Comment:
GCC standards and food safety officials are in the early stages of
developing a biotechnology regulatory framework. Al Kait's question
seemed to stem from a general interest in understanding the U.S.
position on biotech labeling and did not appear to be motivated by a
more specific UAE or GCC effort to develop labeling requirements.
End Comment.)


8. (SBU) EmbOffs also raised the longstanding issue of Halal fees,
indicating that the ATO had asked USTR to determine if there were
WTO issues associated with the UAE policy of charging U.S. slaughter
plants and Halal certifiers an annual service fee. Al Kait seemed
to be aware of the issue, but did not comment further. (Comment:
ATO has provided a variety of background materials to USTR and USDA
on this issue. Post appreciates USTR's interpretation as to whether
the fees are consistent with WTO provisions. End Comment.)


9. (SBU) Comment: It appears that GCC food safety officials
continue to grapple with how to bring the new import procedures into
line with international guidelines. The initial preparation of the
document reportedly took four years, and implementation, if only on
a trial basis, will now likely be at least 18 months from the target
date of January 2008. We continue to sense that UAE food safety
officials are leaning towards a trial implementation followed by a
reworking of the requirements based on lessons learned. While such
an approach could be confusing and problematic for exporters, the
USG should begin to think about how we would pursue flexible
implementation, assuage exporter concerns and seek a well defined
opportunity for comment and eventual revision. Continued
involvement with trade officials and stressing the WTO
inconsistencies will likely be key to helping guide the actions of
the food safety committee. End Comment.
OLSON