Morocco 2000 - Trade reform and economic efficiency : policies for trade promotion

50249 MOROCCO 2000 Trade Reform and Economic Efficiency: Policies for Trade Promotion COUNTRY SUMMARY This summary was prepared under the Trade Expansion Program of the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank, at the request of the Moroccan Ministry of Trade and Commerce. The study team was led by Oli Havrylyshyn, (Consultant) and included Giorgio Basevi, Riccardo Faini, Dominique Hachette, Brian Hindley, Andre Sapir, (Consultants), and Mona Haddad, Donald Keesing, (World Bank). Jean Waelbroeck acted as general advisor. A separate annex study on agricultural trade policy not included in this report, but available from the World Bank CECTP Division was prepared by Agroconcepts of Rabat. The work is based on several missions to Morocco by team members: September 15-30, 1989; November 18-21, 1989; December 6-12, 1989. An earlier draft of the Report was discussed with Moroccan authorities on Apri119-20, 1990. Main findings Trade policy liberalization in the eighties Trade liberalization was an important Trade policy liberalization included the component of Morocco's Structural Adjust reduction of tariff ceilings to 45 percent (ex ment Program. The reforms included reducing cluding the Special Import Tax), the elimina import licensing, trimming tariffs to a ceiling of tion of import licenses, currency devaluation 25 percent, and eliminating the anti-export and measures to lift import duties and restric bias of the economy through various export tions. The result was a reduction in but not an preference mechanisms. elimination of the anti-export bias, and an The report concludes that: improvement in the export performance of