| Abstrakt: |
Trade facilitation has attracted considerable interest as a central concept in international trade, especially for developing countries. This paper examines trade facilitation reforms in Morocco, focusing on its performance relative to similar economies in the MENA region, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Lower-Middle-Income group. Using a comparative benchmarking approach spanning from 2010 to 2023, the study analyzes five composite indicators that measure both policy contributions and outcome: the World Bank's Trading Across Borders (TAB) and Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the World Economic Forum's Enabling Trade Index (ETI), the OECD's Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs), and the UN's Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation (GSTF-PTI). The findings reveal contrasting trends. While Morocco demonstrates strong regional outcomes in reducing trade times and costs, as evidenced by the TAB indicators, its performance on the LPI and ETI is less positive. In terms of policy contributions, Morocco exhibits a positive trend compared to the benchmark groups, showing progress in several areas, but also highlighting delays and opportunities for improvement. A detailed analysis of sub-indicators within the OECD's TFIs and the GSTF-PTI reveals that Morocco excels in transparency, formalities, advance rulings, governance and impartiality, and fees and charges, but lags behind in indicators related to cooperation and institutional arrangements. These findings underscore the need to prioritize trade facilitation reforms in Morocco while acknowledging the challenge of sustaining momentum. Future research should extend the analysis to similar countries, validating the indicators' relevance and exploring the construction of a trade facilitation index system tailored to the Moroccan territory.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
