Publication: Regional Cross-Border Trade Facilitation and Infrastructure Study for Mashreq Countries
Date
2011-04
ISSN
Published
2011-04
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Many opportunities for trade of the
Mashreq (Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Syria)
countries are being lost because of inefficient trade
facilitation processes and procedures, and to a lesser
extent because of underdeveloped transport infrastructure.
Implementation of the Pan Arab Free Trade Agreement has
substantially reduced formal trade barriers between the
countries. There is today extensive knowledge on the
institutional arrangements for such agencies that work best
under different conditions. Trade facilitation and transport
services are largely the responsibility of private
operators, yet an increase in their effectiveness would come
through this agency which would include both private and
public sector representation. The institutional proposals
included in the short and medium term action plans are
designed to create this new context. Recent initiatives
within the Arab League to establish sub-regional committees
of transport ministers have a similar objective of bringing
a more focused attention to addressing trade facilitation
issues. The proposal for a corridor management system
presented in this report builds on these initiatives and
draws on the experience gained from the operation of
management systems in other corridors. This study used two
analytical tools to assess the major trade and transport
impediments to increased trade.
Citation
“World Bank. 2011. Regional Cross-Border Trade Facilitation and Infrastructure Study for Mashreq Countries. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/a4f1e863-42c0-5450-82ed-41aab178abd7 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”