[summary]Iraq car ban lifted

      英语天地 2004-12-14 10:40
08 December, 2004 - Published 12:35 GMT
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
there are used cars in very large quantities

tempted by the fat profit
encouraged by the opportunity to make a lot of money

clogged up
blocked

row upon row of
many

the trade was thrown into chaos
many problems were caused for the used car business

abruptly
quickly and unexpectedly

no prospect of a buyer
no chance of finding a buyer

relented
changed their decision and decided to

to be pressed to meet the deadline
to find it very difficult to sell all their cars within the time limit


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