Riyadh: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers will meet in Jeddah on Wednesday to discuss means of eliminating any remaining obstacles to the full implementation of the GCC Customs Union, hopefully by early next year.
The Union, established in 2003, set a five per cent duty for most goods, but has encountered numerous problems that have hindered its oversight of cross-border trade.
The Union's establishment was followed by the launch of a Common Market in 2008 and a Monetary Council in 2009.
Economic officials in the six member states expect next week's meeting to achieve significant progress ahead of the GCC summit in Abu Dhabi later in the year.
GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah said the meeting would discuss mechanisms for collecting and distributing customs revenues, as well as standardising customs tariffs and other related subjects.
"The Union will enable the free movement of goods among the six GCC states without any restrictions," he said, in keeping with past agreements.
