Customs regulations will increasingly play a major part in the future growth of the GCC's petrochemical industry, delegates were told on the final day of the Fourth Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Summit. Speaking at the conference, Mohammed Al-Haif, Director of GCC Customs Union Department, GCC General Secretariat, outlined plans to develop GCC-wide customs laws to make the import and export of petrochemical products more efficient, such as the introduction of dedicated truck lanes for petrochemicals at ports. "In-depth discussion of how government authorities can further support the growth of the sector regionally and globally is a priority," said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of the GPCA. "The implementation of an extensive GCC customs law is something the entire global petrochemical industry will benefit from, and it's an initiative which has led to interesting discussion among industry experts at the conference." Technology was also identified as a key factor in the development of more efficient supply chain systems for petrochemicals and chemicals, with extensive debate at the conference of the planned improvements in automation and electronic procedures to improve clearance at import and export points around the region. Electronic procedures and systems are to be enhanced and implemented to allow customs between GCC states to positively impact on the transportation of petrochemical goods and improve clearance at import and export points. The implementation of these initiatives is vital to help the flow of the huge amount of products moving between the GCC countries, especially through industrial ports, which Abdullah Nasser Al-Tuwaijry, Director General, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, highlighted in the session demonstrating the contribution industrial ports make to the industry. Al-Tuwaijry discussed the enormous quantities of product passing through the region, with King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail alone handling more than 46 million tons of product annually, with more than 1600 vessels calling at the port each year. Quantities are forecast to increase significantly. The terminals at the King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, in its current configuration, has throughput of 22 million tons per annum (TPA) of petrochemical, set to rise by an additional throughput of more than 15 million TPA by 2020, Al-Tuwaijry said. Consolidation of control of the terminals at the port is earmarked as vital for continuity in operations, with a single operator proposed to control both terminals at King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail to achieve maximum utilization of available resources. The approach to optimizing supply chain processes through best practices concluded the conference, looking ahead to how the GCC industry can capitalize on its achievements to date to continue growth of the petrochemical industry. Al-Sadoun added "these are pertinent issues for our industry, and the Fourth GPCA Supply Chain Congress has demonstrated that distinguished industry players are investing a lot of time and effort into crafting procedures in the petrochemical sector that will lead to a boost in the industry's socio-economic benefits for the region. "This kind of forum to enable these ideas to be showcased and shared is something we are very proud to be able to facilitate, and with more than 280 enthusiastic delegates attending the conference, the future outlook is exceptionally positive for the GCC petrochemical industry."
