Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries
February 1, 2000
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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
Pages:
36
Volume:
2000
DOI:
Issue:
027
Series:
Working Paper No. 2000/027
Stock No:
WPIEA0272000
ISBN:
9781451844511
ISSN:
1018-5941
