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Navigate till the end of the section to find all ads.')" onmouseout=hidetip() target=main href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/wedappoint.htm"><FONT color=silver>APPOINTMENTS</FONT></A><BR><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/writetous.htm"><FONT color=silver>WRITE TO US</FONT></A><BR><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/aboutus.htm"><FONT color=silver>ABOUT US</FONT></A></B> <BR><BR><!-- <b>GOLD RATES</b> --><IMG height=12 alt="" src="uae-1.files/goldheading.gif" width=112 border=0> <FONT color=white>24 Carat</FONT><BR><FONT color=#ffff80>Dhs. 32.75</FONT><BR><FONT color=white>22 Carat</FONT><BR><FONT color=#ffff80>Dhs. 30.75</FONT><BR><BR> <FORM><!-- BACK ISSUES --><IMG height=12 alt="" src="uae-1.files/backheading.gif" width=112 border=0> <SELECT style="BACKGROUND: #ece5c8; COLOR: #000000" onchange=goTo(this.form) name=company> <OPTION selected>Select</OPTION> <OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/index.html>TODAY<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/saturday/index.html>Saturday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sunday/index.html>Sunday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/monday/index.html>Monday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/tuesday/index.html>Tuesday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/wednesday/index.html>Wednesday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/thursday/index.html>Thursday<OPTION value=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/friday/index.html>Friday</OPTION></SELECT> <BR><BR><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif color=white size=1><BR><IMG height=12 alt="" src="uae-1.files/freenheading.gif" width=112 border=0> My E-mail is: <BR><INPUT size=12 name=address><BR><INPUT type=radio CHECKED value=Subscribe name=action> Subscribe<BR><INPUT type=radio value=Unsubscribe name=action>Unsubscribe <BR> <DIV align=center><INPUT type=submit value=" Go "></DIV></FONT></FORM> <DIV align=center><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/card.htm"><IMG height=98 alt="" src="uae-1.files/super.jpe" width=107 border=0></DIV></A></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!-- MENU TABLE ENDS--><!-- MENU TABLE ENDS--> <TD vAlign=top noWrap width=15 background=uae-1.files/shadowmr.gif bgColor=#8f1b16><IMG height=184 alt="" src="uae-1.files/shadowmr.gif" width=15 border=0></TD><!-- BODY TABLE BEGINS --> <TD vAlign=top noWrap width=641 bgColor=white> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=647 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top colSpan=2> <DIV align=center><FONT face=Verdana color=navy size=1>23 Sept 2001. 06 Rajab, 1422. <P> <P> <P><FONT color=maroon><BR><BR></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV align=center><A target=_blank href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/cgi-bin/ads_lead.pl?banner=hktrade"><IMG height=60 alt="WomenOne - Where Women Come First" src="uae-1.files/womenban.gif" width=468 border=1></A> </DIV><BR><IMG height=1 src="uae-1.files/black.gif" width=175><IMG height=42 alt="" src="uae-1.files/leadstory.gif" width=150 border=0><IMG height=1 src="uae-1.files/black.gif" width=175> <P> <P></P></FONT></TD><!-- RIGHT HAND AD TABLE BEGINS --> <TD vAlign=top width=110 rowSpan=2> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=110 align=right border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD><IMG height=184 alt="" src="uae-1.files/shadow2mr.gif" width=18 border=0></TD> <TD vAlign=top noWrap width=85 bgColor=#8f1b16><A target=_blank href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/clicktowin"><IMG height=80 alt="" src="uae-1.files/clicktowinlogo.jpe" width=80 border=0></A><BR><IMG height=20 alt="" src="uae-1.files/betweenmr.gif" width=80 border=0><BR><A target=_blank href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/chatmain.htm"><IMG height=80 alt="" src="uae-1.files/chat.gif" width=80 border=0></A></TD> <TD vAlign=top><IMG height=184 alt="" src="uae-1.files/shadow4.gif" width=7 border=0></TD></TR> <TR> <TD colSpan=3><IMG height=21 alt="" src="uae-1.files/shadow3mr.gif" width=110 border=0></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!-- RIGHT HAND AD TABLE ENDS --></TR> <DIV></DIV> <TR> <TD><FONT face=verdana,arial,helvetica size=2><BR><!-- MAIN STORY STARTS HERE --><FONT size=4><B>Shipping trade unnerved by report of US ban <P></P></B></FONT><B><I>By Jamila Qadir and Utpal Bhattacharya</I></B> <P>DUBAI's shipping circles were yesterday gripped by uncertainty and a sense of shock following reports of an impending ban on the entry of ships flying flags of 24 countries including the UAE into US ports as part of a security clamp-down by the US Coast Guards. <P>Worried shipping agents were desperately trying to get in touch with each other and the local authorities to get a confirmation on whether such a ban had been proposed. But no confirmation was available till late in the evening. <P>The anxiety was caused by a report carried by India's Economic Times newspaper yesterday to the effect that such a directive is ready for implementation by the US Coast Guard. The report, which did not cite any source, said the ships belonging to any of the 24 countries or carrying crew from these countries will not be allowed to enter the US harbours in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. <P>The countries, according to the report, are besides the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq in the Middle East; Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan and Cameroon in Africa; Maldives, Afghanistan, Malaysia and North Korea in Asia; Yugoslavia in eastern Europe; the CIS countries of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; and Cuba. <P>The ships will also not be able to touch these countries as the last port of call before sailing for America, according to the report. <P>Sultan bin Sulayem, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said that his organisation had no knowledge about such a directive being proposed. When his attention was drawn to the Economic Times report, he pointed out that since the report does not have any official backing it is hard "to believe it." <P>He also argued that the report says that ships will not be able to touch named countries as the last port of call before sailing for the US, while shipments from Dubai do not go to the US directly, but call either Singapore or Algeria. <P>"As we did not receive anything official from the US, we can neither confirm this information nor comment on it," he said. Shipping sources said that if such a ban is enforced it would affect every business sector in the Emirates. The UAE exports to the US a variety of goods including readymade garments and foodstuff, a large share of it being basmati rice. <P>There is a lot of cargo on the water at the moment, they said, adding that the real impact will be felt in two to three weeks' time. They also said that for some time now traders have not been opening LCs from Europe and the US. <P>The ban might have serious implications as the UAE can also ban shipments from the US, some sources suggested. There are more imports from the US rather than exports from the UAE, including machinery, foodstuffs, cars, spare parts and military hardware. "The US cannot afford to do it now," some argued. <P>There are no cancellation of orders at the moment, but we are not sure about the future," readymade garments exporters said, adding that it is too early to judge. "We have not yet got any circular or directive at the official level," they said. <P>They said they would have to look for getting cargo into the US via some intermediary port such as Rotterdam. But in this case the shipping cost will be much higher, they added. However, they said that the official directive has not come yet and everything will depend on political situation. <P>The ban will also badly affect $12 billion worth Indian exports to the US as Indian exporters will not be able to export goods to the US in vessels that touch Dubai. The bank would also cover transhipment of Indian goods through Dubai. <P><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/lead.htm#top"><FONT size=1>Top</FONT></A> <P> <HR> <P><!--------------------- DO NOT EDIT BELOW THIS LINE -------> <P></P></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!-- BODY TABLE ENDS --></TR> <TR> <TD colSpan=2><IMG src="uae-1.files/closingshadowmr.gif"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE width=770> <TBODY> <TR> <TD bgColor=white colSpan=10><FONT face="Verdana, Arial" size=1> <DIV align=center><BR><B><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae.htm"><FONT color=blue>THE U.A.E.</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/subcont.htm"><FONT color=blue>SUBCONTINENT</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/editor.htm"><FONT color=blue>EDITORIAL</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sports.htm"><FONT color=blue>SPORTS</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/middleeast.htm"><FONT color=blue>MIDDLE EAST</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/theworld.htm"><FONT color=blue>THE WORLD</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/finance.htm"><FONT color=blue>BUSINESS</FONT></A> | <A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/leisure.htm"><FONT color=blue>LEISURE</FONT></A><BR><A href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/jha.htm"><FONT color=blue>PREM S. 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