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 SOME REMARKS ABOUT ITALEXPOLIBIA, TRIPOLI 2000


It may even seem obvious, but when you land at Tripoli international airport to take part in an international exhibition, your first thought is that you've ended up with landed in the wrong place. Where are the planes? Where's the traffic? Nothing; empty. And after that, you're obliged to stay at the customs office four hours to get your visa. Inshallah!
Libya is just coming back on international markets. In fact, in April 1999 the UN decided to interrupt the embargo because the two Libyan officials suspected of terrorist involvement in the Pan Am disaster over Lockerbie, Scotland were committed to UN institutions. The embargo lasted seven years and blocked vital aspects of the national life. However, UN sanctions never really prevented commercial relations with European countries, especially with Italy.
Libya's re-opening to international markets was one of reasons why an international exhibition was organised. Libya itself represents a small market (it has about 5 million inhabitants according to OPEC data of 1995), but it has important relations with the other Maghrib and Sub-Saharan countries. For the first time after many years, countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain and France decided to take part in it. Italy was represented by 323 exhibitors, private and public enterprises, mostly small and medium enterprises that showed a wide range of products: from any kind of machinery and installations, agriculture products and materials to finished products such as clothing, furnishing, silverware, leather and giftware.
Our European competitors' pavilions were smaller than ours, but they displayed range of products which were more uniform from a typological point of view and famous enterprises were present as well. Germans exhibited their industrial installations manufacturers and their import - export offices, but both the new Volkswagen beetle and the Audi logo stood out in front of their pavilion. The French pavilion was similar. The new Renault welcomed visitors and besides Renault, other multinational enterprises such as Peugeot, Citroen, Total Fina Elf, Alcatel and Thomson exposed their products.
On the whole, we can assert that the fair was successful. Many specialised operators coming from the whole Libya and from near countries visited it (ex. Operators from Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Niger and Cameroon.) Even higher the number of private visitors who chiefly came out of curiosity, but then were really pleased about the presence of international companies. In particular, for furniture and furnishing sector, there were always many visitors crowding our booth and relentlessly repeating the same question, "Where can we buy these products?"
However, as far as commercial results are concerned, it's a bit more difficult to judge ... it's enough if we quote the disappointment caused by Gheddafi's speech given at the International Conference in Cairo last 4th April 2000. Expressing his despise for the lessons of "Western democracies" and condemning the "pollution" caused by multinational firms, the Libyan leader betrayed all expectations and didn't leave much space for hope for the future. The traditional importation system based on state agencies or firms that are allowed import licenses goes on as before and private importation is hard to carry out because firms don't manage to obtain the licenses. On the other hand, goods are still imported underhand as they've always been.
The same analysis is valid for any sector and in particular for finished products like furniture and furnishing which are meant for final users. In fact, there are special agencies and bodies that are licensed to import goods from abroad and from Italy as well. Most of them buy furniture from firms in Pesaro province or in Veneto and import low level products for the most part because this the current state of the market. However, Libyan consumers paid attention even to other factors, such as quality, special design and inimitability. These elements will surely become more valuable when the market is definitively open.
There are important opportunities in Libya and Italy will have to exploit its privileged position since it is Libya's first supplier and first customer on the international market. Libya's state of affairs is still blocked and unclear, but there are good signs of a new awakening. Economical policies for 1999 focused on introducing new manufacturing fields different from oil processing and on improving all facilities, which are insufficient and unsuitable at any level. Consequently, it's possible to foresee that the furniture and furnishing market will also expand both on a private and contract level and linked to new developing tourism.

Text by:
Letizia Salvadori

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In cooperation with:
M.Angeles Fernández Alvarez




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