Algeria bans imported bread, ketchup, chocolate, canned foods and other goods as foreign exchange dries up

The Algerian government has banned a long list of common imported foods: these include bread, pasta, water, fruit juice, sauces and dressings including mayonnaise and ketchup, chocolate, jam, canned foods and nuts. The move comes as a sustained period of low oil prices has affected the availability of foreign currency.

The move comes more than a year after the Algerian government unilaterally suspended existing free trade agreements with both the EU and other Arab countries. Then, the government decreed that it would charge an additional 40% tax for any customs clearance of goods imported from European or Arab countries.