The trade agreement adopts the method of gradual reduction on taxes and customs 10% per annum eliminating customs and non. Deepening the greater arab free trade area through trade facilitation houcine boughanmi 8 221 abstract this chapter assesses the trade facilitation performance of the countries of the middle east and north africa mena region and determines the welfare and sectoral effects of trade facilitation improvements within the context of regional. Economic and social affairs committee background guide. On february 25, 2004, a free trade agreement fta was concluded between jordan. Arab integration, efforts aimed at achieving closer cooperation and assimilation between different arab countries and subregions. Agadir on 8 may 2001, concerning the establishment of a free trade area. The greater arab free trade area agreement gafta was first conceived at the arab league summit in 1982, but very little progress was made until it came into formal existence in 1998 and was signed by 17 member countries. Agreement establishing a free trade area between the arab republic of egypt and the republic of turkey preamble the republic of turkey and the arab republic of egypt hereinafter referred to as the parties or turkey and egypt where appropriate. Agreement to facilitate and develop trade among arab states. The journal of the arab board of health specializations is a medical journal, issued quarterly, encompassing all medical specializations. Across the globe, free markets and trade have helped defeat poverty, and taught men and women the habits of liberty. Executive program of the agreement on facilitating and developing interarab trade for establishing panarab free trade area. The greater arab free trade area gafta was established so as to create an arab economic block that could effectively compete with other countries while ensuring that each country increased trade with each other. The greater arab free trade area was adopted officially on february 19, 1997 in the economic and social councils resolution no.
The meeting came in the framework of a twoyear regional project organized by the network on the socioeconomic impact of trade liberalization in the arab region, which is supported by the ford foundation. Part iii is on the directions of trade and contains tables on the imports and exports of each member state. Greater arab free trade area gafta, usgcc free trade agreement and most favorable tax regimes are boosting gcc industries news provided by. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title gafta.
Customs valuation for the purposes of customs valuation of imported goods, the member countries will apply the provisions of the world trade organisation agreement related to. The experience of the greater arab free trade area1 nicolas peridy2 and ahmed ghoneim3 abstract. An estimation of trade effects article pdf available in journal of economic integration 234. Progress report summary on may 9, 2003, the bush administration proposed the establishment of a u.
Greater arab free trade area questionnaire in early 2005, all goods of arab origin exchanged between the member states of the greater arab free trade area gafta were exempted from all customs duties, duties and taxes of similar effect imposed upon importation. This study aims at evaluating the effect of applying the arab big free trade area on the arabic exchange through analyzing some indicators. This agreement is currently being negotiated by 26 countries, combining a population of 625 million people and a. The economic and social council, in its fifty ninth session held at the headquarters of the arab league general secretariat in cairo, had adopted its resolution no. Under the pafta, all tariffs on goods of arab origin were. Declaration panarab free trade area economic and social councils resolution no. An expost appraisal within an imperfect competition framework. The greater arab free trade area was a project adopted in 1997, when 17 arab league members agreed on decreasing the customs on local production and to make an arab free zone for exports and imports between members. Customs valuation for the purposes of customs valuation of imported goods, the member countries will apply the provisions of the world trade organisation agreement related to customs valuation. The executing of the great arab free trading zone agreement started on 14031998 according to the united arab emirates, in pursuant to decision the council of ministers no. Proceeding from the goals of the agreement to facilitate and develop trade among arab states to liberalize their trade exchange, which was approved by economic and social council resolution no. Other articles where greater arab free trade area is discussed. Journal of the arab board of health specializations.
Assessing trade potential effects of the agadir agreement nicolas peridy first version received august 2004. The gaftas has had a long history with formal existence on january 1, 1998. The accord signed among the previously mentioned four countries will create an integrated market of more than 100 million people and a free zone also subject to be open to other arab countries like algeria, libya, mauritania, syria, and lebanon. Pafta the pan arab free trade agreement pafta established in.
Agreement setting up a free trade area between the arab. The experience of the greater arab free trade area1. The arab states party to the agreement to facilitate and develop inter arab trade shall complete the creation of the pan arab free trade area over ten years as of january 1, 1998. Depending on the context in which the concept is used, integration could be meant as political, economic, or institutional. Part ii is on intraregional trade and contains tables on intraregional imports and exports as a share of total imports and exports by country and hs section. Arab rules of origin for the purpose of implementing the agreement to facilitate and develop trade. The aim of this article is to provide some new insight concerning the welfare impact of the greater arab free trade area gafta. Executive program of the agreement on facilitating and developing inter arab trade for establishing pan arab free trade area. Pdf arab trade dynamics after the implementation of the pan.
Euromediterranean free trade area by the year 2010. It will strive to publish researches of the arab physicians in order to strengthen the communication and exchange of. Agadir agreement setting up a free trade area between the arab. Greater arab free trade area gafta, usgcc free trade. Tunisia, united arab emirates uae as well as yemen.
This resolution set a 10 year plan for the establishment of the panarab free trade area. Number of states joined this area are 18 eighteen arab states, which are. Changes in crossborder trade costs in the panarab free trade. An 18member trading bloc assembled in 1997 for the purpose of coordinating tariff policy, stimulating intermember and global trade, establishing uniform customs policy, and coordinating tax and duty legislation. Republic of tunisia and the government of the arab republic of egypt in the city of. Egypt, morocco, and tunisia, as a first step toward the implementation of a. The greater arab free trade area on the arabic reflections of. Agreement to facilitate and develop trade among arab. Pursuant to the provisions of the executive programme of the agreement on facilitation and developing interarab trade for establishing a greater arab free trade area and for the purposes of regulating and simplifying the procedures for implementing the agreement, the following have been decided. African continental freetrade area cfta fiftyfour countries 1 billion people combined gdp.
Middle east free trade area mefta within a decade by about 20. The greater arab free trade area gafta is a pan arab free trade zone that came into existence in 1997. Arab free trade area, notably through the elimination of unnecessary nontariff barriers. Greater arab free trade area economic community, north. Part i is on external trade statistics and contains tables on the annual trade growth rates in the region, the total values of imports and exports and the percentage of those values by sections of the harmonized commodity. The index is a composite of current account balance, fiscal balance, inflation rate, and exchange rate premium. The gafta includes in its membership 17 arab countries. Declaration pan arab free trade area economic and social councils resolution no. The bush administration hopes that through a middle east free trade area mefta, peace and stability can be achieved through intraregional economic cooperation. On july 7th of 2017, the south african minister of trade and industry, signed the tripartite free trade area tfta, in uganda, turning south africa the 19th country to sign the agreement. United nations conference on trade and development the palestinian economy.
Agreement to facilitate and develop trade among arab states, customs facilitation the governments of the member states of the league of arab states, on the basis of faith in the national unity of the arab nation, aware of the vitality of arab economic integration as a step towards arab economic unity and essential means to promote development. Deepening the greater arab free trade area through trade facilitation houcine. Evidence from africa boopen seetanah, rajah vinesh sannassee, sheereen fauzel chapter 8. Pafta the panarab free trade agreement pafta, established in 1997 to create a free trade area between member nations of the arab league, currently has seventeen participating members from both the mena middle east and north africa and gcc gulf country council regions. As a result, trade barriers have remained high within the arab region. Declaration panarab free trade area economic and social. Agreements ftas as a mechanism towards a free trade. Is it the right time for an arab free trade agreement. Desirous to develop and strengthen the existing friendly relations, especially in.
It is based on an original theoretical model of regional integration, which does not only include the gains related to the. The greater arab free trade area gafta was established so as to create an arab. Part i is on external trade statistics and contains tables on the annual trade growth rates in the region, the total values of imports and exports and the percentage of those values by sections of the harmonized commodity description and coding system hs. Across the globe, free markets and trade have helped defeat. This proposal came a year and a half after th e september 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the u. The challenge of implementing the overlapping regional. The current impediments to intraregional economic cooperation, however, will make a mefta a hubandspoke trade relationship between the united states and the middle east. Greater arab free trade area gafta gafta was declared within the social and economic council of the arab league as an executive program to activate the trade facilitation and development agreement that has been in force since january 1st, 1998. The formation of gafta followed the adoption of the agreement to. Pursuant to the provisions of the executive programme of the agreement on facilitation and developing inter arab trade for establishing a greater arab free trade area and for the purposes of regulating and simplifying the procedures for implementing the agreement, the following have been decided.
All data are normalized using the formula xjt w vjt w b where xjt is the normalization value j for year t. Algeria, bahrain, egypt, iraq, jordan, kuwait, lebanon, libya morocco. Bahrain, egypt, iraq, kuwait, lebanon, libya, morocco, oman, qatar, saudi arabia, sudan, syria, tunisia, and the united arab emirates. An estimation of the trade effects preliminary version javad abedini and nicolas peridy 1 introduction in 1997, fourteen arab countries concluded an agreement, aimed at achieving the greater arab free trade area gafta by 1. Morocco free trade agreement fta general information. Greater arab free trade area gafta gafta is a multilateral trade agreement between 18 out of the 22 arab league states aiming to fully liberate the trade of goods between arab nations. Even though gafta has waived most customs duties on arabic products between the member states since 2005, it lacks. The greater arab free trade area gafta is a panarab free trade zone that came into existence in 1997. Bush proposed the establishment of a middle east free trade area mefta within a decade, which would link 22 arab nations, israel and the united states by 20.
1137 78 194 870 1310 283 749 1482 1624 994 951 528 83 1086 1519 781 510 1299 1240 462 1484 1148 1226 577 790 174 104 823 45 598 2 1221 851 903 959 941 1455 340 1338 1156 589 184 988 713