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Learning English - Words in the News 08 December, 2004 - Published 12:35 GMT Iraq car ban lifted | ||||||||||||
The interim Iraqi government has agreed to lift temporarily a ban on importing old used cars. The ban was imposed last month causing chaos in neighbouring Jordan where there is a huge trade shipping used cars to Iraq. This report from Jon Leyne: Jordan is awash with used cars. They have been imported from around the world by dealers tempted by the fat profit from selling them on to Iraq. The trade has clogged up Jordan's only port of Aqabah. At free trade zone outside the industrial city of Zarqa there are row upon row of Mercedes Benz, BMWs and other cars favoured by the wealthier drivers of the Middle East. But the trade was thrown into chaos last month when the Iraqi government abruptly announced it was banning the import of cars manufactured before the year 2000. The ban left around one hundred thousand used cars in Jordan with no prospect of a buyer, so, after strong pressure from the Jordanian government, the Iraqi authorities have relented and allowed Jordanian dealers until the end of this month to move the cars into Iraq. Car traders say they are still going to be pressed to meet the deadline, especially as insecurity has led to extended delays at the border. Jon Leyne, BBC News, Amman, Jordan awash with used cars tempted by the fat profit clogged up row upon row of the trade was thrown into chaos abruptly no prospect of a buyer relented to be pressed to meet the deadline |
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