Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail has said the Maldives will discuss the duty on fish exports at the European Union (EU) business roundtable meeting.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Fayyaz said that the EU plays an important role in various industries in the economy of the Maldives. He said the EU is one of the most important regions for Maldivian fish exports. Therefore, he said the meeting will also discuss the issue of eliminating or reducing the duty on fish exported from the Maldives to the EU.
The EU business roundtable was attended by 75 participants from different countries. representatives of Maldivian European businesses, government ministers, EU representatives, and ambassadors were present during the meeting. The EU business roundtable meeting is the second of its kind. The first meeting was held in 2019. The aim of the meeting is to discuss economic and commercial opportunities and strengthen relations between the EU and the Maldives in various fields.
The Maldives has previously exported fish to Europe without duty. However, the duty was levied after the Maldives transitioned from a developing country to a middle-income country. The Maldives is now charged 22% as duty on fish exported to the EU.