Trade Barriers in Africa and the Middle East

Trade Barriers in Africa and the Middle East
Author: Russell V. Blaine
Publisher:
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

A trade barrier is a general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts international trade. The barriers can take many forms, including: Import duties, Import licenses, Export licenses, Import quotas, Tariffs, Subsidies.

Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa

Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Bernard M. Hoekman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2000-01-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780821346143

"While very diverse in many respects, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries nevertheless also share some common characteristics, including a number of important shared challenges for policymakers."The Middle East and North Africa region has great potential for economic growth and prosperity in the 21st century. Yet, this potential will not be realized unless governments and private sector leaders in the region forge partnerships for development. An indispensable resource for all those working within the international development community, especially within the Middle East and North Africa region, Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa offers policy and institutional alternatives to help both parties achieve that goal.This volume describes and analyzes recent trade policy developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Contributors—almost all economists from the region—review recent trends in trade performance, assess current trade and investment regimes, and discuss some of the emerging microeconomic policy challenges that confront governments and firms seeking to export and trade. Topics addressed include the need and scope for using regional integration and economic free zones as a tool of development, mobilization of non-trade tax bases, efficient enforcement of product standards to ensure health and safety of citizens, and implementation of modern information technologies to facilitate customs clearance.This book is the second in a series from the Mediterranean Development Forum, a partnership of 10 Middle East and North Africa Region think tanks and the World Bank Institute. This volume will be of interest to development specialists, policymakers, and investors.

Trade Liberalization and Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa

Trade Liberalization and Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Nicholas Minot
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2009
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 089629174X

Agricultural trade liberalization has been resisted by many developing-country policymakers, including those in the Middle East and North Africa, for fear it could hurt domestic farmers and exacerbate poverty. The authors of Trade Liberalization and Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa argue, however, that this concern about liberalization might be misplaced. Drawing on case studies from Egypt, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia, the study uses household survey data and computable general equilibrium models to simulate the effects of various liberalization scenarios on different types of households in these countries, especially poor households. The results indicate that agricultural trade barriers are not an effective means of protecting the poor and that the benefits from many forms of agricultural trade liberalization to the region's consumers outweigh the costs to producers. If complemented with other domestic programs-including agricultural research and extension, information services, disease control, and social safety nets-the reforms have the potential to reduce poverty in these nations. The study findings are a valuable resource for policymakers and development specialists evaluating the role trade liberalization can play in economic development and poverty reduction.

Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries

Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries
Author: Ms.Maria-Angels Oliva
Publisher: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2000-02-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781451844511

This paper studies the structure and evolution of trade protection in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in the 1990s. MENA countries use tariffs and nontariff barriers, and tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers, as substitute protection measures. Tariff levels and tariff dispersion are complements. Excluding Tunisia, the cross-country correlation between tariff and nontariff barriers is -0.46. The correlation between tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers is -0.8. The paper also develops an overall index of trade protection and finds that tariff levels, their dispersion, and nontariff barriers account for 60 percent, 10 percent, and 30 percent of overall protection, respectively.

Trade Competitiveness of the Middle East and North Africa

Trade Competitiveness of the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Jos R. L pez-C lix
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2010-07-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0821380753

Over the past decade, four major developments in global economic integration have shaped trade policy and the economic performance of countries within the Middle East and North Africa region: the emergence of global supply chains, the growth of trade in services, the rise of China and India as major international trading powers, and regional integration. These developments, along with the labor and natural resource endowments of particular countries (some are resource-poor but labor-abundant, some resource-rich and labor-abundant, and some resource-rich and labor-importing), have influenced export diversification outcomes across the region. Yet these countries may not be taking full advantage of all of the opportunities the four new trends offer to them. 'Trade Competitiveness of the Middle East and North Africa: Policies for Export Diversification' examines the region's trade policy agendas and their results by focusing on the countries' response to these four key developments in international trade. As the region recovers from the global financial and economic crises, the book identifies reforms that could allow countries to further strengthen global production networks, benefit more from trade in services, better compete in external markets to face the rise of China and India, and reach the full potential of regional integration. If thoroughly implemented, especially by oil exporters, all of these reforms could help boost growth and job creation in the region.

Trade, Investment, and Development in the Middle East and North Africa

Trade, Investment, and Development in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Dipak Das Gupta
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2003-01-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780821355749

There is a large potential for expanding trade in the Middle East and North Africa region. This work discusses ways forward for trade integration, capturing the diversity of country experiences within the region without losing the generality of principles involved.

Regional Economic Integration in the Middle East and North Africa

Regional Economic Integration in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Mustapha Rouis
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2012-12-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 082139729X

This book summarizes the constraints to and opportunities for deepening economic integration within the MENA region and beyond. Trade and investment reform are discussed together with physical connectivity, cross-border trade facilitation, infrastructure networks, and the vital role of logistics.

Harnessing Trade Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa

Harnessing Trade Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Jean-Pierre Chauffour
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013
Genre: Arab countries
ISBN:

Greater integration into the international economy is a key means through which countries in the Middle East and North Africa can reap the benefits of already existing market opportunities to accelerate economic growth and job creation. An effective economic integration strategy requires complementing reductions in trade barriers with policy reforms to ensure that markets become more competitive (contestable for new entrants) and that operating and transactions costs for firms fall. This paper argues that there are two overarching priority areas for trade-related reforms in many Arab countries: reducing formal trade barriers further, and lowering trade costs through trade facilitation measures and improving "connectivity" for firms, including deeper regional economic integration.

Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa

Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Mr.Hamid R Davoodi
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2003-09-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781589062290

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is an economically diverse region. Despite undertaking economic reforms in many countries, and having considerable success in avoiding crises and achieving macroeconomic stability, the region’s economic performance in the past 30 years has been below potential. This paper takes stock of the region’s relatively weak performance, explores the reasons for this out come, and proposes an agenda for urgent reforms.

Harnessing Trade Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa

Harnessing Trade Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Jean-Pierre Chauffour
Publisher:
Total Pages: 11
Release: 2013
Genre: Arab countries
ISBN:

Greater integration into the international economy is a key means through which countries in the Middle East and North Africa can reap the benefits of already existing market opportunities to accelerate economic growth and job creation. An effective economic integration strategy requires complementing reductions in trade barriers with policy reforms to ensure that markets become more competitive (contestable for new entrants) and that operating and transactions costs for firms fall. This paper argues that there are two overarching priority areas for trade-related reforms in many Arab countries: reducing formal trade barriers further, and lowering trade costs through trade facilitation measures and improving "connectivity" for firms, including deeper regional economic integration.