Changes in Cross-Border Trade Costs in the Pan-Arab Free Trade Area, 2001–2008

The Pan-Arab Free Trade Area, negotiated under auspices of the Arab League, came into force in 1997. Under the agreement all tariffs on goods of Arab origin were to be removed by January 1, 2005. This paper summarizes the results of a firm-level survey in nine countries regarding the implementation of the Pan-Arab Free Trade Area. A majority of respondent companies report that tariffs on intra-regional trade have largely been removed, and that there has been a marked improvement in customs clearance-related procedures. Costs associated with administrative red tape and weaknesses in transport-related infrastructure services are ranked as the most important constraints to intra-regional trade. This suggests that from a policy perspective, efforts to reduce real trade costs deserve priority, including transportation and logistics services. Periodic monitoring and assessment of trade incentives and performance would help governments to benchmark performance and identify priority areas for action, at both the national and the sub-regional levels.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Zarrouk, Jamel, Hoekman, Bernard
Language:	English
Published:	2009-08-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO THE SEA, AD VALOREM, ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, AFFECTING IMPORTS, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AIR, AIR FREIGHT, AIR TRANSPORT, ARAB FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, BARRIERS TO TRADE, BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, BILATERAL TRADE, BILATERAL TRADE BARRIERS, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, CARGO, CARRIERS, CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES, CIF, COMMON MARKET, COMPETITIVENESS OF FIRMS, CONSIGNMENT, CONTAINERS, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, CROSS-BORDER TRADE, CROSSING, CROSSINGS, CUSTOMS, CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES, CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, CUSTOMS CLEARANCE PROCEDURES, CUSTOMS DUTIES, CUSTOMS FORMALITIES, CUSTOMS OFFICIALS, CUSTOMS PROCEDURES, CUSTOMS UNION, CUSTOMS VALUATION, DIESEL, DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS, DOMESTIC TAXES, DRIVERS, DUTY DRAWBACK, DUTY DRAWBACK SCHEMES, ECONOMIC INTEGRATION, ECONOMIC POLICY, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, ELIMINATION OF TARIFFS, EXPORT PROCEDURES, EXPORT-PROCESSING ZONES, EXPORTERS, EXPORTING COUNTRIES, EXPORTS, EXTERNAL TARIFFS, EXTERNAL TRADE, FACTORS OF PRODUCTION, FACTORY GATE, FREE TRADE, FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS, FREE TRADE AREA, FREE TRADE AREAS, FREE ZONE, FREIGHT, FREIGHT FORWARDERS, FREIGHT FORWARDING, FREIGHT TRANSPORT, FUEL, FUEL CHARGES, GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, GLOBAL ECONOMY, GLOBAL TRADE, HANDLING, IMPORT COST, IMPORT DUTIES, IMPORT LICENSE, IMPORT PROCEDURES, IMPORT PROCESS, IMPORT RESTRICTIONS, IMPORT VALUE, IMPORTED GOODS, INDIRECT TAXES, INLAND TRANSPORT, INSPECTION, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL NORMS, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INTRAREGIONAL TRADE, LIBERALIZATION OF TRADE, LOADING, LOGISTICS COSTS, MANUFACTURING, MARITIME TRANSPORT, NATIONAL AUTHORITIES, NON-TARIFF BARRIER, NON-TARIFF BARRIERS, OIL IMPORTS, PACKAGING, POLICY RESEARCH, PORT OF ENTRY, PREPARATORY WORK, PUBLIC SECTOR OWNERSHIP, REGIONAL INTEGRATION, REGIONAL LEVEL, REGIONAL TRADE, REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS, REGIONAL TRADE INTEGRATION, REGULATORY REGIMES, RESTRICTIVE RULES OF ORIGIN, ROAD, ROAD TRANSPORT, ROADS, RULES OF ORIGIN, SAFETY, SAFETY STANDARDS, SHIPMENTS, SHIPPERS, SHIPPING, SHIPPING COSTS, SOURCING, SPEEDS, TARIFF CLASSIFICATION, TARIFF EQUIVALENT, TARIFF EXEMPTIONS, TARIFF POLICIES, TARIFF PROTECTION, TARIFF RATE, TARIFF RATE QUOTAS, TARIFF SCHEDULE, TAX, TECHNICAL BARRIERS, TERMS OF TRADE, TRADE BARRIERS, TRADE COSTS, TRADE DATA, TRADE DIVERSION, TRADE DIVERSION COSTS, TRADE EFFECTS, TRADE FACILITATION, TRADE FLOWS, TRADE IMPEDIMENTS, TRADE IN GOODS, TRADE IN SERVICES, TRADE INTEGRATION, TRADE LOGISTICS, TRADE PERFORMANCE, TRADE POLICIES, TRADE POLICY, TRADE POLICY INSTRUMENTS, TRADE TAXES, TRADE TRANSACTION, TRANSIT, TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPORT, TRANSPORT COSTS, TRANSPORT DOCUMENTS, TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT, TRANSPORT FACILITATION, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, TRANSSHIPMENT, TRUCKS, TRUE, VALUE OF IMPORTS, VALUE OF TRADE, VEHICLE, VEHICLES, WORLD PRICES, ZERO TARIFF,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090831125056 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/4223
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