FOREIGN TRADE INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES - The Case of FR Yugoslavia

This study is divided in ten sections. The first three sections are devoted to macroeconomic performance of the economy in the 1990s, followed by the analysis of contemporary foreign trade performance and institutions. The overall and dramatic decay starting from 1990 is registered in all topics abovementioned. The next three sections are devoted to foreign trade policies toward imports, exports and domestic competition. A significant improvement in foreign trade policies is registered, but a need for further liberalization is also stressed upon, particularly regarding the abolition of statistical fee, and further reduction and simplification of tariffs. The implementation of safeguards and antidumping policies has not started as yet, mostly for the lack of professional skills in the area. The highly monopolized structures of Yugoslav economy will presumably stay at least while the privatization procedure is not completed in a substantial degree. As far as regulations of entry and domestic competition are concerned, no serious formal impediments can be traced. Since corruption and cronyism are still widespread (not only in foreign trading but in judicary system etc) informal impediments to competing on domestic market are still present. The last three sections are focused on the political economy of trade policy, problems of market access on the EU and other markets.