Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. I.Khalilova / The chairman of the Azerbaijani State Commission on Azerbaijan Joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Minister of Economic Development, Heydar Babayev, ordered the reinforcement of measures to implement bilateral negotiations by the end of 2007.
"We should try to hold negotiations with the United States, European Union, South Korea, Japan and with the Chinese province of Taiwan by the end of 2007," Babayev said.
We must submit the updated bound-tariffsto the aforesaid countries in a short space of time. Proposals on minimum customs tariffs to deliver commodities and services of the organizationto Azerbaijani markets have been developed and will be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Government is focusing on accepting a tariff policy in compliance with long term economic policy and taking into consideration the protection of local markets.
Previously Azerbaijan proposed a maximum rate of duty at50% to 80% and an average rate of 23% on agriculture products. Tariffs on industry products are more liberal, the maximum customs rates proposed were 30% to 50%, with an average of 15%. The new proposals have not yet been announced as they have not been approved yet.
The European Union, as one of the biggest agricultural exporters, proposes a reduction in the rates proposed by Azerbaijan. The rate on some commodities is proposed at a zero rate.
Today the import customs rate is imposed on the final product at 15%, raw materials - 0% or 0.5%.
The Government completed negotiations with Oman, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. Azerbaijan has only signed a protocol of negotiations with Turkey among the abovementioned countries.