Vanguard gathered that the objection by EU member countries that met at the German Embassy in Lagos last week was based on their assumption that the proposed ban would not only reduce the volume of trade between Nigeria and their countries but also contradict the World Trade Organisation (WTO) treaty that frowns at import restrictions.

The EU members’ emergency meeting followed President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent order during a visit to Anambra State banning importation of rice and automobile spare parts.

According to the President, continued importation of these items would not augur well for the economic development of the country, adding that businessmen should channel their resources towards the establishment of industries.

Sources said that the EU members after their meeting mandated the economic desk of each embassy to prepare a report on the implication of the policy to their group’s economy.

It is expected that the issue would be discussed extensively at the next meeting of the Union scheduled for the second week of this month.

The Federal Government is said to have endorsed the recommendations of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on the ban of 20 imported items.

The affected items include wears, shoes and bags, textiles, imported water, fruit juice, tooth-picks, canned drinks, breakfast cereals, confectionery, tooth-pastes, toilet rolls, cube sugar, tooth-brushes bleaching creams, tiles, apples, electric cables, furniture, macaroni and imported beverages. The measure, it was gathered is to curb indiscriminate importation of goods at low prices into the country.

MAN had stated that such a ban would adequately protect the local industries from dumping of foreign goods into the country. The EU recently criticised the Federal Government for not withdrawing the $1 million International Monetary Fund (IMF) grant to the country, pointing out that it was responsible for low foreign investment inflow in the country.