The State of Qatar participated in the 25th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council's Customs Union, which was held Monday via videoconferencing.

HE Chairman of the General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Jamal and several GAC department directors represented the State of Qatar at the meeting.

The meeting discussed many issues, foremost of which is the follow-up of the latest developments related to the unified customs law of the GCC countries, the settlement and transfer of customs duties, and the feasibility study of joining the GCC countries to some customs agreements emanating from the World Customs Organization, in addition to the member states' discussion of the draft guide for the"approved economic operator," at the level of the Gulf states, and reviewing the lists of prohibited and restricted goods.

The heads of customs authorities and administrations of the GCC countries also discussed the proposal of the State of Qatar regarding the introduction of a sub-item related to the Khat plant in the unified Gulf customs tariff schedule, to tighten customs control over the smuggling of such prohibited materials.

The meeting also discussed the minutes of the harmonized system committee for the classification of goods and other topics on the agenda.

The periodic meetings of the customs of the Gulf countries are useful in strengthening cooperation between the GCC countries in all customs fields, especially import and export mechanisms and other issues and projects related to international trade and the common regulatory procedures between them.

(QNA)