Lebanon Says the Practice is a Crime its Sovereignty, Economy and Industry"

Turkish and Israeli products with Lebanese slogans.

16/1/2021

(See translation in Arabic section)

Lebanon: Turkey, Israel and other countries are deceiving consumers in foreign markets by falsely claiming that their food products are of Lebanese origin, according to the Lebanese government.

The Ministry of Industry says it supplied Lebanese and international media outlets with information, including pictures, that clearly show the misleading behavior.

“This new-old encroachment is considered fraud and piracy, and constitutes a crime described against Lebanon's sovereignty, economy and industry,” the ministry said.

“The Ministry of Industry will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates to instruct the Lebanese diplomatic missions abroad to follow up on this issue, leading to the prosecution of the actors.

The ministry also believes that the closure of Lebanese factories during the closure period, which could be extended, adds to the above the problem of freezing the national economy and stopping its production and export cycle, and causes industrialists and exporters to lose their markets that cannot be compensated in the future, in a way that benefits competitors abroad to win these markets.