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Assessing Barriers to Trade in Services in the MENA Region

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  • Mohamed Ali Marouani
  • Laura Munro

    (OECD)

Abstract

This paper aims to assess barriers to service provision in the financial, telecom, and transport sectors of selected MENA countries, including both trade and domestic restrictions. The analysis is focused on computation of aggregate and modal trade restrictiveness indexes (TRIs) by sector, drawing on information gathered from detailed questionnaires and country reports prepared by local consultants. The conclusions highlight that significant regulatory reforms have taken place in the service sectors of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco over the last decade, but that a broad range of restrictions still remain. The most significant change in these service sectors has been the lifting or softening of the constraints imposed on foreign equity participation. Reforms, however, have had varying degrees of impact on market structure depending on the country and the sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Ali Marouani & Laura Munro, 2009. "Assessing Barriers to Trade in Services in the MENA Region," OECD Trade Policy Papers 84, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:traaab:84-en
    DOI: 10.1787/225883022037
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Philippa Dee, 2013. "Modelling the Policy Issues in Services Trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Services Trade Reform Making Sense of It, chapter 3, pages 47-66, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Nora Dihel & Ben Shepherd, 2007. "Modal Estimates of Services Barriers," OECD Trade Policy Papers 51, OECD Publishing.
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    5. Novella Bottini & Mohamed Ali Marouani, 2009. "An Estimation of Service Sectors Restrictiveness in The MENA Region," Working Papers 489, Economic Research Forum, revised May 2009.
    6. Olivier Boylaud & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2003. "Regulation, market structure and performance in telecommunications," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2001(1), pages 99-142.
    7. Rauf Gönenç & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2003. "Regulation, market structure and performance in air passenger transportation," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2001(1), pages 183-227.
    8. Hoekman, Bernard, 2006. "Liberalizing trade in services : a survey," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4030, The World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fontagnã‰, Lionel & Mitaritonna, Cristina, 2013. "Assessing barriers to trade in the distribution and telecom sectors in emerging countries," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 57-78, January.
    2. Kazuhiro Sugie & Massimo Geloso Grosso & Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås & Sébastien Miroudot & Frédéric Gonzales & Dorothée Rouzet, 2015. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): Logistics Services," OECD Trade Policy Papers 183, OECD Publishing.
    3. Ingo Borchert & Batshur Gootiiz & Arti Grover Goswami & Aaditya Mattoo, 2017. "Services Trade Protection and Economic Isolation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 632-652, March.
    4. Massimo Geloso Grosso & Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås & Frédéric Gonzales & Iza Lejárraga & Sébastien Miroudot & Asako Ueno & Dorothée Rouzet, 2014. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): Legal and Accounting Services," OECD Trade Policy Papers 171, OECD Publishing.
    5. Amélie GUILLIN & Isabelle RABAUD & Chahir ZAKI, 2022. "Does the Depth of Trade Agreements Matter for Trade in Services? Evidence from the MENA Region," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 2984, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    6. EZZAT Riham Ahmed, 2015. "Paving the Way for Better Telecom Performance: Evidence from the Telecommunication Sector in MENA Countries," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 14(3), pages 157-199, September.
    7. Riham Ahmed Ezzat, 2015. "Paving the way for better telecom performance: Evidence from the telecommunication sector in MENA countries," Post-Print halshs-01164199, HAL.
    8. Novella Bottini & Mohamed Ali Marouani, 2009. "An Estimation of Service Sectors Restrictiveness in The MENA Region," Working Papers 489, Economic Research Forum, revised May 2009.
    9. Riham Ahmed Ezzat, 2015. "Paving the way for better telecom performance: Evidence from the telecommunication sector in MENA countries," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 15039, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    10. Massimo Geloso Grosso & Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås & Asako Ueno & Frédéric Gonzales & Iza Lejárraga & Sébastien Miroudot & Dorothée Rouzet, 2014. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): Transport and Courier Services," OECD Trade Policy Papers 176, OECD Publishing.
    11. Massimo Geloso Grosso & Iza Lejárraga & Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås & Frédéric Gonzales & Sébastien Miroudot & Asako Ueno & Dorothée Rouzet, 2014. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): Construction, Architecture and Engineering Services," OECD Trade Policy Papers 170, OECD Publishing.
    12. Brahim Elmorchid & Noha Samy & Khalid Sekkat & Jay Squalli, 2013. "Arab Passengers' Airlines Framework And Performance: A Cross Countries Analysis," Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-21.
    13. Borchert, Ingo & Gootiiz, Batshur & Grover, Arti & Mattoo, Aaditya, 2012. "Landlocked or policy locked ? how services trade protection deepens economic isolation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5942, The World Bank.
    14. Arindam Banik & Pradip K. Bhaumik, 2014. "Assessing the Barriers to Trade in Services in South Asia," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 15(4), pages 795-814, December.
    15. Dorothée Rouzet & Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås & Frédéric Gonzales & Massimo Geloso Grosso & Iza Lejárraga & Sébastien Miroudot & Asako Ueno, 2014. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): Financial Services," OECD Trade Policy Papers 175, OECD Publishing.

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    Keywords

    MENA region; services; trade;
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