The government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and the Ministry of Commerce has signed a Technical Cooperation agreement with the Ghana Standard Authority for the certification and testing of Liberian Fish and Fish Products for export to the European Union.
At the same time, Liberia has sent two technicians from the Commerce Ministry to Brussels to undergo training for the REX Program (Registered Exporters) to maintain and implement the REX program in Liberia.
These are set criteria for direct export of fish and fisheries products from Liberia to the EU market.
According to a NaFAA press release seen by APA on Thursday, prior to this arrangement, the Legislature under the Weah- led government signed the Economic Partnership Agreement which is the framework for implementing the REX program that allows export to EU market on a zero percent tariff basis.
This is the first time that Liberian fish and fish products will be exported to the EU market under this program and it’s also a gateway for other Liberian products to hit the EU market.
In another development, Liberia through NaFAA has for the first time flagged two Tuna Purse seiners of Sovereign Trade Services, a Liberian registered company (industrial pelagic fishing vessels) on its domestic vessel registry and attracted investment to start operating by January 2020.
TSS/as/APA