The Liberian government through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and the Ministry of Commerce have signed a Technical Cooperation with the Ghana Standard Authority (as a temporary arrangement) for the certification and testing of Liberian Fish and Fish Product only, for export to the EU market.
The agreement was signed on Friday. November 22, 2019, according to a NaFAA press release.
At the same time, Liberia has sent two technicians from the Commerce Ministry to Brussels to undergo training for the REX Program (Registered of Exporters), so that the REX program can be maintain and implemented in Liberia. These are set criteria prior to the commencement for direct export of fish and fish product from Liberia to the EU market.
Prior to this arrangement, the Liberian Legislature under the government of President Weah signed unto the economic partnership agreement, which is the framework for implementing the REX program.
This program allows export to EU market on a zero% tariff basis. And, this is the first time that Liberia fish and fish product 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.
For the first time, Liberia through NaFAA has 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. Sovereign Trade Services.