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PRESS/TPRB/8
27June1995
TRADE POLICY REVIEW OFCÔTED'IVOIRE: REFORMS AND DEVALUATION
STIMULATE EXPORTS
Economic reforms implemented byCôted'Ivoire sinceJanuary 1994when theCFAfranc was
devalued by50percentarecreating abetter environment forinvestment andtrade. Quantitative
restrictions onmostimported products werelifted orarebeing abolished, import duties werereduced
byhalfandnewlawsarenowinforce toimprove competition, thereby helping toattract foreign
investment andmanage thetransfer oftheState'sassets inalarge-scale privatization programme.
According toaWTO Secretariat report onCôted'Ivoire 'strade policies andpractices, the
objective ofCôted'Ivoire 'sliberalization istorevive theeconomy which hasbeeninrecession for
almost seven years mainly because offalling world prices forcoffee andcocoa, which presently account
formore thanhalfofthecountry 'sexport earnings. Theeconomic adjustment efforts made inthe
second halfofthe1980s "didnotsuffice tooffset thedualeffect ofthesimultaneous decrease inexport
earnings andinexternal competitiveness," saysthereport. However, withlastyear'sdevaluation and
generalliberalization,exportstoneighbouringcountrieshavealreadyincreased,especiallyintheagri-food
andtextiles sectors. Thereforms, saysthereport, should "enhance thecompetitiveness ofIvorian
companies inallproduction sectors."
Côted'Ivoire isoneofthemain trading nations insub-Saharan Africa withexports in1993
totalling $2.4billion andimports amounting to$1.9billion. Agricultural products account forone
thirdofCôted'Ivoire 'sGDP. Current policies forthissector aretoderegulate andprivatize distribution
chains toenhance theroleoftheprivate sector andtolower budgetary costs related tofoodcrops,
i.e.rice,cotton, palmoilandsugar. Prices forcoffee andcocoa, however, arestillcontrolled bythe
State. IntheUruguay Round, Côted'Ivoire bound allduties foragricultural products ataceiling rate
of15percent withtheexception ofsome products which arebound atratesranging from fiveto75
percentin1995 andbetween fourand64percent in2004. Thereport saysthatonlyafewindustrial
products were bound, i.e.certain rubber products, engines, spare parts andtractors, atceiling rates
ranging between 10and25percent.
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Côted'Ivoire alsomade anofferunder theGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS).
According tothereport, theofferconcerns certain professional services andother business services,
certain construction andengineering services, certain tourism-related services (hotels, restaurants and
travel agencies) andafewtransport services. Inprinciple, Côted'Ivoire isalready opentothepresence
offoreign suppliers ofbanking, insurance, transport andprofessional services. Thereport states that
itwould beanadvantage forthecountry toparticipate inthese on-going negotiations "soastogive
foreign suppliers stable access tothese services." Thecurrent lackofcompetition, states thereport,
results inhigher prices andaffects thecompetitiveness ofIvorian exports. "Binding oftheexisting
opening within theGATS andgreater liberalization would stimulate competition andallow costs to
belowered, while atthesame timediversifying thenumber andorigin ofsuppliers."
Thereport citesthedesire onbehalf ofIvorian authorities toeliminate structural obstacles,
thereby making better useofCôted'Ivoire 'sassets. Thecountry 'smany comparative advantages
havebeenrecently enhanced bytheriseinrawmaterial prices onglobal markets, thediscovery of
oilandnatural gasofftheIvorian coast andtheincreased awareness ofthecountry 'stourism potential.
Thereport concludes bysaying thatalthough regulations andtheadministrative framework ofproduction
andexport arestillrigid, recent privatization efforts, newinvestment measures andthefacilitation
ofimports "should rapidly leadtoimportant changes attheexport level." These should include "a
curtailment oftheadministrative andcustoms procedures which slowdown exports andincrease their
cost."
Notes toEditors
1. TheWTO Secretariat 'sreport, together withareport prepared bytheGovernment ofCôte
d'Ivoire, willbediscussed bytheWTO Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) on4and5July1995.
2. TheWTO Trade Policy Review Body conducts acollective evaluation ofthefullrange oftrade
policies andpractices ofeachWTO member atregular periodic intervals andmonitors significant trends
anddevelopments which mayhaveanimpact ontheglobal trading system.
3. Thetworeports,togetherwitharecordoftheTPRB'sdiscussionandoftheChairman'ssumming
up,willbepublished induecourse asthecomplete trade policy review ofCôted'Ivoire andwillbe
available from theWTO Secretariat, Centre William, Rappard, 154ruedeLausanne, 1211 Geneva
21.
4. ThereportscoverdevelopmentsofallaspectsofCôted'Ivoire'stradepolicies,includingdomestic
lawsandregulations, theinstitutional framework, trade-related developments inthemonetary and
financial sphere, trade practices bymeasure andtrade policies bysector. Attached arethesummary
observations fromtheSecretariat andgovernment report. Fullreports willbeavailable forjournalists
from theWTO Secretariat onrequest.
5. Since December 1989, thefollowing reports havebeencompleted: Argentina (1992), Australia
(1989 &1994), Austria (1992), Bangladesh (1992), Bolivia (1993), Brazil (1992), Cameroon (1995),
Canada(1990,1992&1994),Chile(1991),Colombia(1990),Egypt(1992),theEuropeanCommunities
(1991 &1993), Finland (1992), Ghana (1992), Hong Kong (1990 &1994), Hungary (1991), Iceland
(1994), India (1993), Indonesia (1991 and1994), Israel (1994), Japan (1990, 1992 and1995), Kenya
(1993), Korea, Rep. of(1992), Macau (1994), Malaysia (1993), Mexico (1993), Morocco (1989),
NewZealand (1990), Nigeria (1991), Norway (1991), Pakistan (1995), Peru(1994), thePhilippines
(1993),Poland(1993),Romania(1992),Senegal(1994),Singapore(1992),SouthAfrica(1993),Sweden
(1990 &1994), Switzerland (1991), Thailand (1991), Tunisia (1994), Turkey (1994), theUnited States
(1989, 1992 &1994), Uruguay (1992) andZimbabwe (1994).
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TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY
CÔTED'IVOIRE
Report bytheSecretariat -Summary Observations
After threedecades ofindustrial protection, in1994Côted'Ivoire initiated atradeliberalization
programme.Quantitativerestrictionsonimportshavebeenliftedorareintheprocessofbeingabolished;
import duties, which aregenerally advalorem, havebeenreduced byhalfandattheendof1994 the
average ratewas23.5percent. There arestillexport taxes onexports ofcommodities; however,
ithasbeenannounced thattheobjective isgradually todecrease these charges bybroadening thefiscal
base. Inthisregard, efforts areunder waytoextend thescope ofindirect taxesandconsequently lessen
theState'sdependence ontaxes oninternational trade. New lawshavebeen adopted toimprove
competitiveness within theIvorian economy, attract foreign investment andmanage thetransfer of
theState'sassets aspartofthelarge-scale privatization programme.
Theobjective ofthisliberalization istorevive aneconomy thathasbeendepressed byalmost
seven years ofrecession, largely asaresult ofthefallintheprices ofcoffee andcocoa, themainexport
products, andtheattendant increase intherealeffective exchange rateduring thesecond halfofthe
1980s. Theeconomic adjustment efforts undertaken atthedomestic levelduring thisperiod didnot
suffice tooffset thedualeffect ofthesimultaneous decrease inexport earnings andinexternal
competitiveness soon12January 1994 Côted'Ivoire, together withitspartners inthefranc zone,
devalued itscurrency fromCFAF 50to100foroneFrench franc, while atthesame timeintroducing
anewmacroeconomic adjustment programme.
TheIvorian economy istoalarge extent based ontheexport ofagricultural products, which
account foronethird ofGDP; thismakes theeconomy extremely vulnerable toprice ordemand
fluctuations onglobal markets. ThisiswhytheStateintervened inthepastinorder tostabilize export
prices andvolumes, thereby causing considerable losses. Themainobjectives ofthecurrent agricultural
policy arethederegulation andprivatization ofdistribution chains inorder toenhance theroleofthe
private sector andlower budgetary costs. These measures apply tofoodcrops, inparticular, rice,
cotton, palm oilandsugar. Theroleoftheprivate sector is,however, restricted toexport activities
inthecaseofcoffee andcocoa, whose prices arestillcontrolled bytheState, which assumes themajor
partoftherisksduetofluctuations inglobal prices.
Inindustry, devaluation andtheliberalization ofimports should helptorestore thebalance
oftherelative price structure, which showed considerable distortions according towhether ornotthe
goods weretraded. According topreliminary observations, exports tocountries inthesubregion rose
sharply in1994, especially intheagri-food andtextiles sectors. TheGovernment hopes thatrestoring
thebalance willattract investment insectors withhighvalue added, thuscontributing towards the
diversification oftheIvorian economy. Inthisconnection, trade, investment andpricereforms should
helptoincrease thenumber andenhance thecompetitiveness ofIvorian companies inallproduction
sectors.
Themajority ofservices, including public services andpower supply, aremonopolies with
controlled prices, while financial andprofessional services areasawhole protected fromcompetition
through aninflexible regulatory framework thatisnotconducive tothedevelopment ofnewactivities.
Exporters often havetobearother costs suchastheobligation tousenational maritime transport or
insurance services. Thetelecommunications sector iscurrently being reformed withaview toits
privatization.
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Côted'IvoirehasratifiedtheUruguayRoundAgreements.IthasappliedtheGeneralAgreement
since 1947, firstofallasaFrench Overseas Territory andthen, since 1963, asacontracting party.
IntheUruguay Round Agreements, Côted'Ivoire bound allduties applicable toagricultural products
ataceiling rate. Only afewindustrial products were bound. Côted'Ivoire hasonlymade modest
commitments under theGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS).
Côte d'Ivoire inworld trade
With exports amounting toUS$2.4 billion in1993 andalmost US$1.9 billion ofimports,
Côted'Ivoire isoneofthemain trading nations insub-Saharan Africa. Theratiooftrade ingoods
andservices toGDP ishigh, having risen from 75percentin1992 tomore than110percentafter
thechange inparity in1994. Theprimary, secondary andtertiary sectors represent 34,28and38
percentofGDP respectively. Two thirds ofthework force isemployed inagriculture. The
manufacturing sector ismainly based ontheprocessing ofagricultural andenergy rawmaterials; among
themajor sectors aretheagri-food, wood, industrial agriculture (cotton, rubber), petroleum products
andtextiles sectors.
TheEuropean Union isCôted'Ivoire 'smajor trading partner, accounting for52percentof
itsexports and54percentofimports in1992. Trade relations withFrance areveryclose andthe
lattersupplies 35percentofimports andtakes18percentofIvorian exports. TheNetherlands supplies
3.5percentofIvorian imports andisanimportant outlet, purchasing 11.5percentofIvorian exports,
especially cocoa.
Côte d'Ivoire 'sAfrican trade accounts for29percentofitsimports and35percentofits
exports. Itsmajor trading partners belong totheEconomic Community ofWest African States
(ECOWAS) and,firstandforemost, totheWest African Economic Community (CEAO). Among
African countries, themajor suppliers areNigeria, with18percentofimports, mainly oilandnatural
gas,followed byCameroon andSenegal. More than5percentofIvorian exports gotoBurkina Faso,
which isthemain African market forCôted'Ivoire, followed byMali, Nigeria, Senegal andGhana.
South Africa takes almost 2percentofIvorian exports.
Coffee andcocoa together account formore thanhalfofexport earnings, lower thanthefigure
of64percentin1986. Other agricultural exports inorder ofimportance arewood, cotton, rubber
andfreshfruit. Exports ofmanufactures mainly comprise petroleum products, aswellasfoodproducts
suchaspreserved fish,palmoilandsugar; Côted'Ivoire alsoexports textiles, chemicals andcement.
Intermediate goods, especially crude petroleum, account foralmost 40percentofIvorian
imports. Imports ofpharmaceutical andplastic products, aswellasother consumer goods, account
foraround one-quarter ofthetotal; theshare ofcapital goods andmaterials inIvorian imports has
varied between 20and25percentsince 1990. In1992, foodproducts made upmore than16per
centofimports. Among these, imports offishcaught inIvorian waters byforeign boats aresubstantial
andarepartly utilized bythelocalprocessing industry. Thecurrent tradestructure is,however, likely
toundergo far-reaching changes asaresult ofrecent discoveries ofoilandnatural gasofftheIvorian
coast.
Institutional framework
Executive power isvested inthePresident, whopresides overtheaffairs ofState. ThePresident
appoints thePrime Minister, whointurnappoints theother members oftheGovernment after
consultation withthePresident. Trade policy issues aretheresponsibility oftheMinistry ofIndustry
andTrade. Other ministries having competence inthisareaaretheMinistry oftheEconomy, Finance
MOREPRESS/TPRB/8
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andPlanning, incharge ofcustoms administration; theMinistry ofRawMaterials; theMinistry of
Agriculture andLivestock Resources; theMinistry ofTransport; theMinistry ofMining andEnergy;
andtheMinistry ofForeign Affairs. TheNational Assembly consists ofasingle chamber of
175memberselectedforfiveyearswhopassthelawsthataresubsequentlypromulgatedbythePresident.
Among thetexts ofparticular relevance forforeign trade aretheCustoms Code andthe
Investment Code. International treaties aresubject toavoteintheNational Assembly and,asinthe
caseoftheFinal ActoftheUruguay Round, theycome intoeffect immediately theyareratified without
theneedtoadopt anyimplementing legislation. International treaties haveprimacy overalllawsexcept
theConstitution; thePresident isresponsible fortheirnegotiation, butusually delegates hisauthority
tothecompetent ministry. Trade policy negotiations areprimarily theresponsibility oftheMinistry
ofIndustry andTrade.
Therulesanddisciplines contained intheFinal Actmaybeinvoked before theIvorian Courts
andtheirobligations aretaken intoaccount when formulating economic policy.
IntheUruguay Round Negotiations, Côted'Ivoire 'smainobjectives weretoimprove thelegal
frameworkofmultilateraltradeandtomaintainspecialanddifferentialtreatmentfordevelopingcountries.
Theauthorities noted theimportance ofamonitoring mechanism toensure thatalltherules and
disciplines embodied intheFinal Actwereapplied. Inaddition, theIvorian authorities stressed the
needforbetter organization ofcommodity trade, which hitherto hadbeenlefttotally inthehands of
speculators. Lastly, theneedtoensure thatenvironmental concerns werenotusedasaninstrument
oftrade protection wasunderlined.
TheIvorian authorities aregenerally satisfied withtheUruguay Round Agreements, which
afford better access tomarkets andstrengthen rules. However, theyconsider thatgains inproductivity
willbeneeded before theIvorian economy canbenefit fully from theresults oftheAgreements.
Côted'Ivoire regrets theerosion ofitspreferential trading position onthemarket oftheEuropean
Union andhopes thatanywearing away oftheLomé Convention willbeprevented. According to
theIvorian authorities, inviewoftheliberalization process already under way, nomajor legislative
changes willbeneeded tobring theIvorian lawsintoconformity withtheFinal Act.
Côted'Ivoire hasconcluded 34bilateral tradeagreements, which generally provide foranMFN
regime. Côted'Ivoire isnotasignatory totheAgreement ontheGlobal System ofTrade Preferences
(GSTP) among Developing Countries. Ithassigned anumber ofcommodities agreements under the
auspices oftheUnited Nations Conference onTrade andDevelopment, including theagreements on
coffee, cocoa, rubber andtropical timber.
Côted'Ivoire enjoys privileged access without reciprocity tothemarket oftheEuropean Union
under theLomé Convention. Thisregime allows access totheCommunity market forIvorian exports
ofmanufactures andsome agricultural products freeofanydutyorquantitative restrictions. Inthe
caseofbanana exports, thisregime wasthesubject oftwodisputes under Article XXIII ofGATT,
inwhich fiveLatin American countries contested thecompatibility ofthisregime withtheGeneral
Agreement. Allother developed countries grant Côted'Ivoire tradepreferences corresponding totheir
national preference schemes (GSP).
Côted'Ivoire doesnothaveanyindependent official bodyresponsible forreviewing oradvising
theGovernment ontrade policy.
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Trade policy features andtrends
Recent evolution
Althoughthenumberofimportleviesisrelativelyhighwithatleastfourseparateduties(customs
duty, fiscal duty, stamp dutyandalevyonimports carried bysea),theirlevels havebeensubstantially
reduced. Alarge number ofmeasures onimport quotas havebeenlifted orareabout tobeabolished.
Increased foreign competition hasmade itpossible toliberalize domestic prices ofcertain products
previously subject tocontrols suchascement andrice.
Although theprivatization ofState holdings inkeyeconomic sectors hasbeendelayed, the
announced transfer ofStateholdings intherice,cotton, palm oil,rubber andsugar sectors, andalso
intelecommunications andtransport, should helptodismantle certain tradeprivileges which represented
important obstacles tocompetition andconsequently totheflexibility andadaptability oftheeconomy
asawhole. Another objective oftherecent legislative reform istoprevent State enterprises with
controlled prices from becoming private monopolies afterprivatization.
Inorder toencourage direct investment, theauthorities introduced asingle window system
atthebeginning of1995, thereby considerably simplifying andaccelerating investment formalities.
These reforms followed theintroduction ofanewdraftInvestment Code aimed atencouraging the
creation anddevelopment ofenterprises inCôted'Ivoire, inparticular, bygranting taxexemptions.
ThenewCode abolishes the"establishment agreements" which existed between theStateandtheprivate
sector, aswellastheprivilege ofbeing considered apriority enterprise which wasinherent inthese
agreements.
There hasbeenlittlechange intheexport regime, however, except fortheintroduction ofnew
taxes ontheprincipal exports. Administrative formalities arestillasawhole relatively complicated
bothinrespect ofcustoms formalities andtheinternal transport ofgoods subsequently exported.
Improvements havenevertheless beenmade inorder tobroaden access tomaritime transport.
Type andincidence oftrade policy instruments
Imports intoCôted'Ivoire aresubject toanumber oflevies. Inaddition totheuniform customs
dutyof5percentthere isafiscal duty, which varies between 5and30percent, andastatistical tax
of2.5percent; themajority ofimports arealsosubject toa0.6percentlevyonimports carried by
sea.Moreover, some special taxesapply toparticular products, mainly alcohol, tobacco, fuel,aswell
assome meats, fishanddairy products. Alimited number oftariff linesenjoy freeentry (medicines,
books andperiodicals, aswellascertain agricultural andtextiles inputs). Côted'Ivoire hasasystem
fortheinspection ofgoods before shipping anditscostisusually 0.75percentofthef.o.b. value.
Côted'Ivoire doesnotapply anyseasonal tariffs orvariable levies.
Totheabove mustbeadded VAT, whose modal rateis20percentapplied tothec.i.f. price
ofimports plusimport duties. Although theratesarethesame forproducts ofanyorigin (domestic
orforeign), thehighest ratesareoften levied onimported products, while locally produced goods and
services generally benefit from exemptions orlower VAT rates.
Anumber ofother measures helptocomplicate theregulatory framework andmayhavean
adverseimpactonimports.Minimumleviesareappliedtotheimportofcertainproductssuchasalcohol,
tobacco andcoffee. Thereference prices usedasabasisforcustoms valuation ofimports correspond
torelatively highminimum prices incertain cases, forexample, riceandoilseeds andproducts thereof.
MOREPRESS/TPRB/8
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Theauthorities haveannounced theirintention toapply thecustoms valuation method intheUruguay
Round Agreements.
Some imports arestillsubject toquotas atlevels thataresometimes verylow. Thisisthecase
forcoffee, rice,flour, sugar, tobacco, certain textiles, some tyresandusedvehicles, aswellascertain
toolsandotherironproducts. Other products require apriorauthorization fromthecompetent ministry.
TheState isinvolved inwhole orinpartinarelatively large number oftrade activities,
particularly through itsparticipation innational enterprises. Forexample, theState plays arolein
themajority ofagricultural sectors (coffee, cocoa, cotton), butalsoindomestic andinternational trade
inmanufactures suchaspalmoil,sugar, tobacco, petroleum products, themanufacture oftools, textile
sacks,paperboardandmetallicpackaging.Throughitsparticipationinthecapitalofanumberofnational
companies, theState alsoplays aroleinthetrade infinancial services, maritime transport, railand
airservices andconstruction services. Thetradeinpetroleum, electricity andgasisaStatemonopoly
withcontrolled prices.
Monopolies andexclusive rights toproduction, marketing orimport areconfined toafew
categories ofgoods andservices including rice,flour andsugar; energy products suchaselectricity
andcrude petroleum; postal, telecommunications andwater services.
Sincetheearly1980s,theannualamountofGovernmentprocurementhasdecreasedconsiderably
andhasbeenaround CFAF 70billion (approximately US$125 million) annually since1992. Awarding
contracts through open tenders onlyaccounts foronethird ofthetotalnumber ofcontracts. The
authorities emphasize thatcontracts financed aspartofbilateral aidinmany casescompel theauthorities
toobtain supplies fromindustries inthedonor country. Theregulations inforceinCôted'Ivoire provide
forpreference tobegiven tosuppliers established inCôted'Ivoire provided thatthequality andthe
price arethesame. Nevertheless, Government procurement isingeneral opentoforeign suppliers;
Côted'Ivoire 'saccession tothenewAgreement onGovernment Procurement intheUruguay Round
Agreements would allow theforeign presence tobediversified while atthesame timeopening upnew
markets forIvorian enterprises.
Intheareaofintellectual property, Côted'Ivoire isasignatory totheBangui Agreement, which
establishes auniform system fortheprotection ofintellectual property inthe12member countries.
Côted'Ivoire, asadeveloping country, hasanadditional period offiveyears inwhich toharmonize
itslegislation withtheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights. Inpractice,
many counterfeit goods areonsaleinIvorian markets.
Export taxesareapplicable tothereference prices forcoffee, cocoa, wood andcolanuts. One
oftheaimsofthese taxes, reintroduced oncoffee andcocoa in1994 afterafour-year interval, isto
stimulate diversification towards exports withahigher value added and,inthecaseofwood, to
discourage deforestation. These export taxes givetheStatealargeproportion ofitsrevenue andtheir
abolition would leadtoasignificant increase ininternal taxation. Thereference prices forwood have
tripledsincedevaluation;referenceprices(minimumlevies)alsoapplytootherproductssuchasbananas,
pineapples andcoconut oil.
Themajority ofproducts subject toanexport taxarealsosubject toexport quotas. Forwood,
thequotas aresoldatauction. Theexport ofsome products alsorequires apermit issued bythe
competent technical ministries. Ingeneral, theinstitutional andadministrative environment forexports
wouldbenefitfromgreatersimplificationsoastofacilitateandpromotenewexportactivitiesanddevelop
those already existing. Thecostoffinancial, professional andtransport services isadecisive element
inthecapacity ofIvorian products toconfront international competition.
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Côted'Ivoire hasnotestablished anyfreezones. Atemporary admission system hasbeen
setupinorder toallow certain enterprises which export toimport theirinputs freeofduty.
Anumber ofexport activities arethesubject ofamonopoly, either officially orinpractice.
Thisisthecaseforenergy products, butalsosugar, palm oilandcotton. Exports ofcoffee, cocoa
andsome fresh fruitsuchasbananas areorganized insuchawayastocontrol thequantities available
andtheprices obtained.
Coffee andcocoa playamajor roleintheeconomy because ofthejobs,revenue andbudgetary
earnings theycreate. These products areexported bylarge international trading companies atprices
guaranteed bytheAgricultural Produce Price Stabilization andSupport Fund (CSSPPA), irrespective
ofthetrends inprices. Itsstabilization roleledtosubstantial losses fortheState when prices fellat
theendofthe1980s. TheCSSPPA nowforward sells60percentoftheharvest inorder tominimize
theriskofprice fluctuations between theguaranteed prices toexporters andglobal prices.
Inthese sectors, Côted'Ivoire hasnotbroken withthesystem ofproducer prices andState
control ofinternal andexternal marketing intheagricultural sector, eventhough incertain cases fixed
prices havebeenreplaced byminimum prices. Thiscontrasts withtheprivatization announced for
several agricultural complexes, which should leadtoimportant changes intherice,sugar andcotton
sectors andinoilseeds andtheirproducts. Ingeneral, itcanbenoted thatthesectors thatarewholly
managed bytheprivate sector, forexample, rubber andbanana production, haveachieved thebest
economic performance.
State participation intheproduction anddistribution ofenergy isintheform ofexclusive
concessions granted totheprivate sector; theratesareusually negotiated insuchawayastoguarantee
theconcessionaire stable remuneration whatever thetrend inglobal prices forthegoods andservices
concerned orfortheinputs needed fortheirproduction. Thisisthecasefortheproduction ofelectricity,
petrol refining andthesupply ofnatural gas.
Following theliberalization ofimports andthechange inparity, theIvorian manufacturing
sector isshowing signs ofrecovery, withasignificant increase inexports in1994. Côted'Ivoire 's
comparative advantages lieintheprocessing ofagricultural rawmaterials, mainly foodproducts, rubber
andcotton. Wood processing could alsobedeveloped ifsolutions totheproblems ofdeforestation
could befound.
Thecompetitiveness ofservices sectors isnecessary fortherecovery ofexports ofmanufactured
andagricultural products. Forthetimebeing, private orpublic monopolies withcontrolled prices
arethenorm formaritime, railandairtransport, retail trade, telecommunications andpublic services.
Temporary measures
Côted'Ivoirehasnolegislationconcerninganti-dumpingorcountervailingduties.Nevertheless,
specific duties arelevied onimports ofcertain meats anddairy products inorder tooffset theeffect
oftheexport subsidies granted bytheEuropean Union foritsexports. Côted'Ivoire doesnotapply
anysafeguard measures; reference prices forimports fulfil thisfunction.
Trade policies andtrading partners
Therecent macroeconomic recovery, which included theadjustment ofexchange rates, the
restoration ofbudgetary andexternal balances andexternal financial flows, helped tocreate amore
stable environment forinvestment andtrade. These measures show theauthorities 'desire toeliminate
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thestructuralobstaclestobetterexploitationofCôted'Ivoire'sassets.Thecountryhasmanycomparative
advantages andtheyhaverecently beenenhanced bytheriseinrawmaterial prices onglobal markets,
thediscovery ofoilandnatural gasofftheIvorian coastandincreased awareness ofthecountry 'stourist
potential.
Although theregular regulatory andadministrative framework ofproduction andexport isstill
rigid, theprivatization efforts, thenewmeasures oninvestment andthefacilitation ofimports should
rapidly leadtoimportant changes attheexport level. These should include acurtailment ofthe
administrativeandcustomsprocedureswhichslowdownexportsandincreasetheircost.Thesemeasures
areindispensable inorder torevitalize economic machinery which could bemore flexible andmore
competitive.
Under various programmes intheEuropean Union, theUnited States andother countries, Côte
d'Ivoire receives largequantities ofsubsidized cereals, including riceandflour, whose impact onlocal
production offoodcrops isconsiderable. Côted'Ivoire 'sagricultural trade should inthelongterm
benefit from thedisciplines onsubsidies intheUruguay Round Agreements, while exports of
manufactures should beabletotakeadvantage ofbetter terms formarket access.
TheIvorian services sector isinprinciple opentothepresence offoreign suppliers, present
inbanking, insurance, transport andprofessional services, aswellasinthemajority ofpublic services.
Itwould therefore betoCôted'Ivoire 'sadvantage toparticipate inthenegotiations taking place within
theGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS), soastogiveforeign suppliers stable access
tothese services. Although there isalarge foreign presence, lackofcompetition means thatprices
arehighandthisaffects thecompetitiveness ofIvorian exports. Binding oftheexisting opening within
theGATS andgreater liberalization would stimulate competition andallow coststobelowered, while
atthesame timediversifying thenumber andorigin ofsuppliers.
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TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY
CÔTED'IVOIRE
Report bytheGovernment -Summary Extracts
General Trade Policy Objectives
Fromthefirstdecadesofitsindependence,Côted'Ivoire'stradepolicyobjectivesweregrounded
ineconomic liberalism andopenness totheoutside.
Thisdualorientation wasreflected inapolicy ofincentives andliberal measures toencourage
bothdomestic andforeign investment, relying inparticular on:
- Anincentive-based investment code;
- aregime toencourage reinvestment;
- acustoms tariff which favoured import substitution.
Theweakness oftheprivate sector, inwhich national operators werevirtually absent, strongly
influenced theState toinvolve itself ineconomic activities, intheform ofheavy investment andan
increasingly heavy regulatory framework. Theprivate sector wasthustosome extent hedged about,
hadaminor roleandgenerally setupinsometimes over-protected niche markets andopenings.
Thesteady fallofthepriceofcoffee andcocoa from1978plunged thecountry intoanextended
period ofrecession, marked byasignificant lossofcompetitiveness, ageneral decline ineconomic
activity, worsening ofthebudget deficit andsoaring public debt.
Atthebeginning ofthe1980s, theIvorian authorities adopted aneweconomic policy consisting
ofaseries ofeconomic andfinancial recovery measures. Thenewpolicy significantly changed the
direction oftrade policy, whose main objective became export-led recovery.
Côted'Ivoire iscurrently going through atransition phase, involving theeconomic stabilization
planandtheprivatization ofenterprises under public ownership. Thisphase should leadtoan
improvement inproductivity andcompetitiveness intheeconomy.
Theimprovementintraderelationswithcountriesinthesub-regionisalsooneofCôted'Ivoire's
trade policy objectives.
Consequently, in1992, Côted'Ivoire decided withother member countries totransform the
West African Monetary Union (WAMU) intoatrueeconomic union. Fortrade policy, thatinvolved
harmonizationoflegislation,unificationofdomesticmarketsandtheimplementationofcommonsectoral
policies inthebasic sectors oftheireconomies.
Sectoral objectives
Since 1994, theIvorian Government hasbeenresolutely following amore liberal trade policy
inallsectors ofeconomic activity, introducing deregulation ofprices andtrade channels, andgreater
openness tonational andforeign competition.
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Intheagricultural sector, Ivorian trade policy objectives arebothtostrengthen traditional
productionanddiversifynon-traditionalagriculturalexports.Agriculturalpolicyparticularlyemphasizes
promotion offoodcrops anddevelopment ofagro-industry topermit theprocessing ofrawmaterials
andexport ofsemi-finished orfinished products.
Themining andenergy sectors areexpected totakeoffduetosignificant investment inthe
exploitation of:
- Oilreserves, whose production should allow Côte d'Ivoire tobeself-sufficient in
1995/96 andeventoexport inthefuture;
- gold, manganese andnickel deposits; and
- natural gas,which should cover national needs forelectricity, andalsoexports to
neighbouring countries.
Côted'Ivoire expects toplayakeyroleinthesub-region intheservice sector through:
- Development oftheAbidjan Stock Exchange, andbanking andinsurance services;
- promotion ofCôted'Ivoire asatourist destination;
- development ofmeans oftelecommunication; and
- confirmation, inthetransport sector, oftheroleofCôted'Ivoire asthemain transit
andtrans-shipment platform inthesub-region.
Lastly, reform intheindustrial, mining andenergy sectors andintheservice sector should
support andenhance thecountry 'sexport capacity.
Côte d'Ivoire intheUruguay Round
Côted'Ivoire already hasalegalandregulatory framework which meets theobjectives ofthe
Agreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), namely:
- Liberalization ofitsforeign anddomestic trade;
- adoption ofaninvestment codewhich isveryfavourable andopentoforeign economic
developers; and
- establishment ofanational committee forcompetition tocombat fraud anddumping
andaliaison committee between thepublic andprivate sectors responsible forexploiting
theconclusions oftheFinal Acttothecountry 'sbestadvantage.
TheIvorian authorities welcome theadvent oftheWTO asapowerful instrument fordeveloping
andleast-developed countries, resulting from:
- Special anddifferential treatment andnewstrengthened world traderuleswhich more
effectively protect less-favoured countries against dumping, subsidies and
anti-competitive practices;
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- theUruguay Round achievements interms ofmarket access which mayallow
Côted'Ivoire todiversify considerably itsexports tocountries withwhich hitherto it
hadverylittleinthewayoftrade relations.
Côted'Ivoire nevertheless regrets theerosion ofitspreferential tradeposition intheEuropean
Union market. Itbelieves, however, thattherealopportunities fordiversification willinthefuture
compensate fortheerosion oftheagricultural preferences under theLomé Convention.
Côte d'Ivoire ratified theFinal ActinJanuary 1995. Since Ivorian lawwasinconformity
withtheFinalAct,nomajor legislative changes willbenecessary. Asindicated above, theliberalization
process wasalready under way.
Côted'Ivoire submitted itsinitial commitments in1992. Itsoffers maybesummarized as
follows:
With regard toagriculture, Côted'Ivoire undertook tobinditscustoms tariffs ataceiling of
15percent,withtheexception of25tarifflineswhere therespective duties havebeenreduced torates
ranging from 4to64percent. Theother duties andtaxes onallagricultural products werelisted at
cumulative ratesvarying between 15and80percent.
Withregard toindustrial products, ninegroups ofproducts (certain rubber products, engines,
spare parts andtractors) were bound atlevels ranging from 5to15percent.
Trade measures directly affecting exports
Regulatory framework
Despite theintroduction ofaveryliberal regulatory regime forforeign trade, particularly
concerningexportsandtheadoptionofaSectoralAdjustmentandCompetitivenessProgramme(PASCO),
several elements ofwhich include regulatory reforms withadirect impact onexports, there arestill
constraints which place abrake onexports.
These are:
- complexity ofexport procedures;
- complexity andslowness oftemporary admission procedures andreimbursement of
VAT;
- regulations andpractices concerning maritime andairfreight.
Theexport ofIvorian products intoandoutofthefranc areaisbased ontheproduction of
detailed declarations (D6,D5,D8,D86).
Taxes, charges andfeesonexports
Côted'Ivoire applies export taxes tocertain rawmaterials.
Thesingle export duty(DUS) applies tothefollowing products:
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- coffee (roasted andunroasted) 200CFA francs pernetkg.;
- cocoa (beans) 200CFA francs pernetkg.;
- colanuts: Order No.84-813 of27June1984 (14percent);
- uranium oresandconcentrates (7percent);
- rawtimber (advalorem taxes varying from 1to44percentaccording tothevariety
ofwood);
- plywood (1percent).
Theadvalorem duties havenotvaried since devaluation. Specific duties oncoffee andcocoa
were introduced.
Côte d'Ivoire applies reference prices under Decree No.90-444 of29May 1990,
Decree No.94-377 of1July1994, Circular No.749of2August 1994, onrough timber andcertain
wood products forexport.
Export prohibitions
Exports areunrestricted, withtheexception ofcertain products subject toprior authorization
orprohibition.
Quotas andother measures toreduce exports
Côted'Ivoire isapartytotheCoffee Export Retention Plansetupin1993, andthePlanadopted
bytheInternational Cocoa Organization aimed atreducing over-production.
Exports ofbananas totheEuropean Union arerestricted to155,000 tonnes peryearunder
theterms oftheConvention ofLomé. Thisquota wasraised to162,500 tonnes foraproduction potential
of250,000 tonnes (Regulation No.3224/94 ofDecember 1994).
State trading
AcertainnumberofexportingenterpriseswithStateparticipationarerepresentedoninternational
markets. These are:
- theAgricultural Produce Price Stabilization andSupport Fund (CSSPPA): exporting
coffee andcocoa;
- Palmindustrie: exporter ofpalm oil;
- SODESUCRE: exporter ofsugar products;
- theCIDT: company producing andexporting rawcotton.
State companies arealsopresent intheexport ofservices, notably inthemaritime, railand
airtransport sector, telecommunications, oilandelectricity.
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Export cartels
There aretwoexport cartels: theAgricultural Produce Price Stabilization andSupport Fund
(CSSPPA) which controls exports ofcoffee andcocoa andtheOrganization ofPineapple andBanana
Producers andExporters, which coordinates distribution ofbananas andpineapples totheEuropean
Union.
Export subsidies
Anexportsubsidyintroducedin1984wasintendedtopayexportingcompaniesasubsidyassessed
at40percentoftheadded value ofimported inputs. Thissubsidy hassince beenabolished.
Tariff andfiscal advantages
Thetemporaryadmissionregimeallowstheimportofrawmaterialsasinputsforthemanufacture
ofproducts which aresubsequently exported. Theduration ofsuspension isamaximum of12months
(provisions under ordinary law). Theguarantee required is50percentofthesuspended duties.
Although thereisprovision foritinthesectoral adjustment programme (PASCO), thedrawback
regime isnotyetinplace inCôted'Ivoire.
Export promotion
Theprincipal agency responsible forexport promotion istheAbidjan International Trade Centre
(CCI-A) established byDecree No.84-933 of27July1984. TheCCI-A isapublic agency ofan
industrial andcommercial nature under theMinistry ofTrade andIndustry. Itsactivities consist of
promoting anddeveloping trade between theCôted'Ivoire anditsforeign partners.
Certain technical ministries andprivate bodies participate intheimplementation oftheexport
promotion policy. Notable amongst these aretheDirectorate forthePromotion ofForeign Trade
(Ministry ofTrade andCommerce) andtheCôted'Ivoire Chamber ofCommerce andIndustry (CCI-CI)
financed bytheprivate sector.
Obstacles faced byexport promotion include lackofinstitutions capable ofsupporting private
exportinginitiatives,particularlyanexportcreditinsurancecompany,andanationalexportinfrastructure,
etc.
Measures affecting production andtrade
Public enterprises andtheprivatization process
In1985, some 50percentofthecapital ofIvorian enterprises washeldbytheState, therest
being splitbetween theIvorian private sector (10percent) andforeign capital (40percent).
ReformsundertheSectoralAdjustmentandCompetitivenessProgrammehaveledtoasignificant
privatization programme.
Atthepresent time, some 15enterprises havebeenprivatized. These include anelectricity
distribution company, twopublishing houses, alivestock processing complex, atourist group, three
agro-industrial companies, etc.
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Inall,some 60enterprises willbeprivatized, 15inthecurrent year, andtheothers under
restructuring plans. Companies which canbementioned are:
- Thelarge agro-industrial groups inthehevea, oilpalm, sugar andcotton sectors;
- therailway company;
- theoilrefinery;
- thetelecommunications company; and
- various companies inthepetroleum, hotel andservice fields.
Taxandinvestment legislation
ThenewInvestment Code (1995) grants significant fiscal andtariffadvantages toenterprises.
Itclearly shows theGovernment 'sdesire toencourage investment ingeneral regardless ofscale.
ThenewCode doesnotmake anydistinction concerning thesource ofcapital goods. Allcapital
goods, whether locally produced orimported, areeligible, under thesame conditions andwiththe
same effect, forthefollowing advantages under theCode:
- Exemptionfromimportduties(fiscalandcustoms)onallequipmentneededtoundertake
theinvestment, including thefirstbatch ofspare parts, foranamount atleastequal
totheupperthreshold(2billionCFAfrancs).Forinvestmentamountsincludedbetween
thelower threshold (500million CFA francs) andtheupper, asingle import dutyof
5percentisapplied, withtheexception ofconstruction materials, movable assets and
passenger vehicles, forwhich allimport duties mustbepaidregardless oftheamount
invested;
- exemption fromVAT onthecostofmaterial andequipment, utility vehicles andspare
parts foranamount ofinvestment atleastequal tothelower threshold, withthe
exception ofbuilding materials, movable assets andpassenger vehicles;
- exemption from taxonprofits;
- exemption from taxonlicences; and
- inthecaseofinvestments atleastequal totheupper threshold, exemption fromproperty
taxonbuildings constructed.
Anenterprise which wishes tobenefit from theadvantages under theapproval regime must,
among other things, comply withthefollowing obligations:
- Employ Ivorian management staff,supervisors andother workers andprovide fortheir
training, inaccordance withthecurrent regulation, particularly theoperation ofthe
fundforthedevelopment ofvocational training;
- comply withnational orinternational quality standards applicable togoods andservices,
which arethesubject ofitsactivities;
- refrain from altering ecological conditions, particularly theenvironment; and
- respect theregulations concerning deposit ofagreements andcontracts concerning title
toindustrial property oracquisition oftechnology.
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Theapproval regime applies toalleconomic activities withtheexception ofbuilding andpublic
works andfinancial services.
Investments which arenoteligible under theapproval ordeclaration regimes aresubject to
therelevant ordinary lawandparticularly theprovisions oftheGeneral Taxation Code andtheCustoms
Code. Investments infinancial services aresubject totheprovisions ofLawNo.90-589 of25July1990
containing thebanking regulations inCôted'Ivoire andtheirimplementing decrees.
Under theterms ofthecurrent regulations, theexercise offinancial orbanking activities is
subject toapproval byorder oftheMinister Responsible fortheEconomy, Finance andPlanning, after
afavourable opinion bytheBanking Commission oftheWest African Monetary Union (Articles 7
to9ofLawNo.90-589 of25July1990).
Likewise, financial institutions areclassified bydecree indistinct categories taking account
oftheiractivities.
Theymaynotexercise theactivities ofanother category without priorauthorization (Article 10).
Lastly, under Article 25oftheabove law,certain operations require prior authorization of
theMinistry oftheEconomy andFinance. These particularly concern:
- Transfer byabankorfinancial institution ofmore than20percentofitsassets related
toitsoperations inCôted'Ivoire;
- acquisitions ordisposals ofshares theeffect ofwhich would betoincrease theshare
ofasingle person above thelevelrequired toblock resolutions orthemajority ofvoting
rights orreduce suchshareholding beneath suchthresholds.
TheCentre forthePromotion ofInvestment inCôted'Ivoire (CEPICI), established byDecree
No.93-774 of29September 1993 andofficially opened on8March 1995, isprimarily intended to
facilitate, firstly, theadministrative procedures concerning theestablishment andoperation ofenterprises
and,secondly, completion oftheformalities concerning thegranting ofinvestment-linked benefits,
particularly those offered under thenewInvestment Code.
Price regulation andmarketing
Until 1990, prices ofallproducts could befixed bydecree (Law No.60-273 of
2September 1960, onprice regulation inCôted'Ivoire).
Since 1991, prices ofgoods andservices traded inCôted'Ivoire havebeenfreely determined
bymarket forces. Nevertheless, prices ofgoods andservices ofprime necessity orgeneral consumption
mayberegulated following anopinion oftheCommission onCompetition. Thus, only22groups
ofgoods andservices were subject toprice controls.
InJanuary 1994, following thedevaluation, theprices of34goods andservices (including
alistof22products) were frozen foraperiod ofthree months. Attheendofthatperiod, onlythe
goods andservices listed weresubject toprice controls. After theliberalization ofprices ofcement
andrice,onlytheprices of20goods andservices oftenconsidered asofprime necessity wereregulated:
- water;
- electricity andgas;
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- urban transport;
- railtransport;
- telecommunications;
- oilproducts;
- charcoal;
- feesofdoctors, clinics andhospitals;
- school anduniversity fees;
- wheat, flour;
- vegetable oils;
- cotton;
- sugar;
- machetes;
- certain batteries; and
- pharmaceutical products.
Ingeneral, priceregulation inCôted'Ivoire concerns goods andservices forwhich thedomestic
andforeign trade isrestricted, andisthusaimed atpreventing price abuses resulting frommonopoly
situations.
Legislation oncompetition
Ivorian legislation oncompetition dates from December 1991 (Law No.91-999 of
27December 1991 oncompetition).
ACommission onCompetition wasestablished toimplement theabove-mentioned law. The
Commission gives itsopinion onallquestions concerning competition referred toitbytheGovernment
oronitsowninitiative.
Itmust beconsulted bytheGovernment onanydraft legislation orregulations instituting
measures torestrict competition.
TheCommission mayalsogiveitsopinion onthesame matters attherequest of:
- Local authorities (collectivités territoriales), professional andunion bodies, accredited
consumer organizations andchambers ofcommerce concerning interests forwhich
theyareresponsible;
- anenterprise which isthevictim ofdiscrimination asregards investment advantages
granted bytheState.
TheCommission onCompetition gives anopinion, forthesettlement ofdisputes overunlawful
agreementsandabusesofdominantposition,aswellasconcerningcontrolofaconcentrationofeconomic
power, inthefollowing circumstances:
(1) Anyconcerted action, agreement, coalition, express ortacitunderstanding withtheobject or
which might havetheeffect ofpreventing orrestricting freecompetition isprohibited, notably
when suchaction might result in:
(a) Restrictingmarketaccessorthefreeexerciseofcompetitionbyenterprisesnotinvolved;
MOREPRESS/TPRB/8
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(b) hindering thesetting ofprices byfreemarket forces byartificially encouraging price
increases orreductions;
(c) restricting orcontrolling production, outlets, investment ortechnical orcommercial
progress;
(d) sharing ofmarkets orsources ofsupply.
(2) Inthesamecircumstances, anyabusive practice ortactic byanenterprise orgroup ofenterprises
occupying adominant situation inthedomestic market orpartofit,either asaresult ofa
monopoly situation orbyanexcessive concentration ofeconomic power, isprohibited.
Such abuses mayconsist ofrefusal tosell,linked salesordiscriminatory saleconditions and
breaking ofestablished commercial relations, based solely ontherefusal ofatrading partner toaccept
unjustified trading conditions.
Current programmes fortrade liberalization, including those agreed inthecontext ofsectoral
adjustment and/or debtnegotiations
Themarked andprolonged deterioration intheterms oftrade during the1980s plunged
Côted'Ivoire intoalasting economic recession.
Theresult wasasignificant lossofcompetitiveness, ageneral decline ofeconomic activity,
worsening ofthebudget deficit andsoaring public debt.
Inorder tocorrect theseimbalances, theIvorian Government, withthesupport ofinternational
financial institutions, embarked uponanumber ofprogrammes which werestrengthened, from1990,
bytheeconomic stabilization andrecovery planbased onthefollowing principles:
- Return toandmaintenance ofstrict macroeconomic stability;
- direct withdrawal oftheState, through privatization ofcertain activities. TheState
nowonlyintervenes intrading activities when private economic operators cannot
undertake suchactivities inthegeneral interest;
- indirect withdrawal oftheState byderegulation aimed atmore systematic useof
adjustment bymarket forces.
From 1991, anewprogramme ofstabilization andeconomic recovery waslaunched, supported
bythree sectoral adjustment programmes which made itpossible torestructure thefinancial sector
(PASFI), restore theoverall competitiveness oftheeconomy (PASCO) andinitiate aprogramme to
improve health andeducation services. Inaddition, aplantoreform thepublic sector andprivatize
some 60public enterprises wasalsoputintoeffect.
Theprogramme torehabilitate thefinancial sector made itpossible inparticular toreform and
restructurethefinancialinstitutions(banks,insurance,stockexchanges),restorebankliquidity,introduce
major improvements inmonetary policy andimprove financial intermediation mechanisms.
These measures taken asawhole resulted intheprimary balance offinancial operations of
theStatemoving fromadeficit of225billion CFAfrancs in1989toasurplus ofmore than60billion
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CFAfrancs in1994. Parallel tothis,thehitherto persistent downward trend inGDP waseliminated,
withpositive growth in1994. Thenecessary foundations forgrowth havethusbeenestablished.
Inorder toattract investment, theGovernment hasimplemented aninnovative policy of
investment promotion andwithdrawal oftheStatefromtheproductive sector byintroducing apackage
ofmeasures aimed atimproving competitiveness intheeconomy, strengthening theeconomic fabric
andpromoting theprivate sector. Thisincludes inparticular:
- Significant fiscal relief measures suchas:
- reduction ofcustoms duties from anaverage rateofover100percenttoan
average rateofabout 40percent;
- improving theneutrality ofVAT byextending itsscope;
- reduction orabolition ofcertain charges;
- reduction ofratesonindustrial andcommercial profits, nowat35percent
instead of50percent;
- reduction ofTPSonbankagios from 25to10percent;
- downward revision ofemployment taxforexpatriates nowfixed at11.5per
centcompared with16percentandabolition ofthistaxforlocalstaff;
- reduction oftherateofincome taxonintangible assets applicable totherevenue
from loans;
- reduction incapital tax;
- exemption from duties andtaxes oncertain products;
- reform ofcertain taxes related tomanufacture oflocalproducts;
- extension oftheperiod ofcarry-forward oflosses from three tofiveyears;
- greater flexibility inemployment legislation inorder toincrease competitiveness of
locallabour;
- adoption ofalawtosimplify recovery ofcertain commercial debt;
- liberalization offoreign trade;
- ongoing revision ofbusiness lawinthecountries ofthefranc area;
- easing andsimplification oftheoverall administrative procedures concerning both
domestic andforeign trade;
- price liberalization;
- active promotion ofcompetition;
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- improvement inthecosts ofcertain factors ofproduction such aslabour, water,
electricity, gasandincrease intheenergy capacity ofthecountry, particularly
implementation oftheCIPREL project;
- introduction ofthecomputerized registry intheAbidjan Court;
- improvement insecurity ofproperty andpersons.
Theadvantages andincentives forinvestment contained inthedraftinvestment codeofthe
MiningLawestablishingbetter,moretransparent,rapidandequitableconditionsofaccesstoalleconomic
operators, regardless oftheirsectoral activity, should beadded tothislistwhich isnotexhaustive.
END