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Working Paper Series - Inter-Arab Trade and the Potential Success of AFTA



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Inter-Arab Trade and the Potential Success of AFTA


Volume : 0

No : 0

ISSN : WPS9806

Publisher : Arab Planning Institute - Kuwait

Author (s) : Imed Limam , Adil Abdulla 

Published Date : 1/1/1998


Contents :
Trade among Arab countrieshas been very weak despite previous efforts to engage into different forms ofregional economic integration. Using the flexible framework provided by theGravity Model, the paper gives an order of magnitude of the main factors oftenpresented in explaining the weakness of inter-Arab Trade. The results of themodel together with several indicators about export profiles, tradecorrespondence, and revealed comparative advantage, are used to examine theprospects of increased inter-Arab trade following the liberalization of tradeenvisaged under the newly established Arab Free Trade Area (AFTA). We are ableto establish a tentative list of commodities that represent opportunities forexpanded trade as well as a list of partner countries?that have higher chancesof benefiting from trade liberalization under AFTA. We argue that although thepossibilities for expanded inter-Arab trade are real, the realization of thesepossibilities requires, among other things, the improvement of transport linksamong Arab countries and the de-linking of political from economicrelationships between the latter countries.

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