IMF Working Papers

Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries

By Maria-Angels Oliva

February 1, 2000

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Maria-Angels Oliva. Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2000) accessed October 3, 2024
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

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.

Subject: Imports, International trade, Tariffs, Taxes, Trade barriers, Trade liberalization, Trade policy

Keywords: East Asia, Frequency ratio, Imports, Middle East, Nontariff barriers, North Africa, Rankings, Restrictiveness index, Tariff dispersion, Tariff level, Tariff rate, Tariffs, Trade barriers, Trade liberalization, Trade policy, Trade protection, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    36

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2000/027

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA0272000

  • ISBN:

    9781451844511

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941