A new importer-exporter card illustrates Algiers’ determination to regain control over trade flows plagued by persistent abuses.
Against a backdrop of continued pressure on foreign currency reserves, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune chaired a meeting dedicated to regulating foreign trade, according to a statement from his office.
At the heart of the announced decisions is the creation of an importer-exporter card, designed to centralise data on economic operators.
This initiative is part of a series of measures aimed at more strictly regulating imports and supporting local production.
In line with this approach, the authorities are explicitly targeting practices deemed fraudulent, particularly the re-export of raw materials imported with public facilities without industrial
processing.
This officially acknowledged phenomenon highlights the limitations of existing control mechanisms. Despite existing mechanisms – including import schedules overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Trade – these diversions raise questions about the actual effectiveness of the administrative oversight chain.
This desire to regain control was demonstrated earlier by the dissolution of the Algex agency, replaced by two separate entities responsible for imports and exports, respectively.
Behind this institutional reorganisation, the government seeks to address a lack of transparency regarding trade flows.
The stated objective is clear: to have consolidated data on the volumes, prices, and nature of goods entering the national market, in order to fine-tune trade policies.
In this context, the new professional card appears as a tool for widespread traceability. It is intended to allow the state to precisely identify operators, their activities, and transactions.
Officially, this system aims to combat over-invoicing and illicit currency transfers, two phenomena regularly mentioned by the authorities, although their extent has not been the subject of recent
detailed publications.
The lack of consolidated public data on these practices, however, limits the assessment of their real impact on the economy.
Nevertheless, this strengthening of administrative control comes in an economic environment where dependence on imports remains high, particularly for industrial inputs.
In this context, the balance between regulation and the free flow of trade appears delicate. While the government emphasises the protection of domestic production, the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their ability to correct dysfunctions without hindering the supply of goods to businesses, a central issue for the continuity of economic activity.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA