Efforts Underway To Oppose France's Move To Impose Higher Import Duty On Palm Oil

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Plantations and Commodities is mounting several measures including a campaign to oppose the move by France to triple import taxes on palm oil. Deputy Minister Noriah Kasnon said Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's two largest producers, had also issued a joint statement to oppose the move while the Minister of Plantations and Commodities Douglas Uggah Embas had personally handed over a protest letter to the French ambassador in Kuala Lumpur. France planned to issue a biodiversity law that will triple import taxes on palm oil products, one of Malaysia's main export commodities. "We have pointed out that France’s plan was a clear discrimination against palm oil and this will surely have a negative implication on smallholders who produce 40 per cent of Malaysia's oil palm output," she said when replying to Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) who asked about the steps being taken to counter the plan which would raise import tax on palm oil by 900 euros per tonne. Noriah said the ministry was working closely with the French Sustainable Palm Oil Alliance and French Food Association to garner support among French senate members to consider the plight of smallholders in voting for the bill. She added that the ministry suggested mounting a special mission to France, before the senate convened in May or June, to lobby and highlight the possible repercussion of the senate's move to raise import tax arbitararily. Malaysia exported US$8.76 billion (RM35.64 billion) worth of palm oil from 2010 to 2015 to the European Union, the third largest destination for the edible oil. -- BERNAMA