PA exports worth $400 million per year

Head of the Palestinian association of importers and exporters said Sunday that the Palestinian Authority's overall exports amount to $400 million per year. Muhammad Abu Eid said that 90 percent of all exports go to Israeli markets. He noted that the annual revenue collected by Israel on imported goods destined for the Palestinian Authority amounted to $4.5 billion. Around 72 percent of imports come from Israel, while 28 percent come from other countries via Israeli ports. Secretary-general of the Palestinian association of importers and exporters Jamal Maslamani told Ma'an that they had organized a visit to the port of Haifa after being invited by the Israeli Zim Line shipping company. Several members of the associations board and general assembly joined the visit on Saturday where they met with Israeli officials. They also discussed impediments faced by Palestinian businessmen who import and export merchandise through Haifa's port. Palestinian importers and exporters say that high taxes, storage fees and overseas fees are some of the restrictions they face at Israeli ports. Israel collects tax revenues and customs on goods imported by the PA which pass through Israeli ports. The money amounts to about $100 million each month. Israel's cabinet decided last week to continue to withhold the transfer of tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority, a measure it imposed two weeks ago after the Palestinians won full membership of UNESCO. The decision to continue the revenue block is the second time this year that Israel has withheld the revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Israel froze fund transfers earlier this year when Abbas concluded a reconciliation agreement with Hamas. The temporary freeze resulted in the PA not being able to pay salaries to its 150,000 employees on time for the first time since 2007.