According to the Ministry of National Economy, Israeli settlement products account for about 98% of expired goods detected in the Palestinian market by Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) crews.A report issued by the CPD stated that Palestinian products, in contrast, accounted for only 1.9% of expired products. 350 inspection tours throughout 2,345 local stores were conducted by the Directorate crews, in calculating these statistics.
According to WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency, the Ministry ascribed the sharp decline of expired Palestinian products in the local market to Palestinian manufacturers and traders’ compliance to: ‘the relevant laws and regulations in force, the interest to reinforce the competitiveness of Palestinian products, the persistent control over products in the local market and the Palestinians’ demand on local products which has been increasing in the wake of recent campaigns to promote the boycott of Israeli products following the last Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip.’
The Ministry also documented cases of forgery and disinformation involving the relabeling of contraband settlement products by Israeli traders, and the promotion of them as being originally made in Israel.
Other cases reportedly involved other Israeli traders forging the place of production and place of origin, in an apparent attempt to put these products in line with the relevant Palestinian standards.
The Ministry pointed out that the detected expired products included food, tobacco, beverages, crude oil and other petroleum products, animal and vegetable oils, fats, chemicals, manufactured products, equipment and transportation tools, WAFA reports.
