RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/W/13
12January 1996
ORGANIZATION
(96-0099)
TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY Original: English
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
Review ofMorocco
Communication from theDiscussants
Inpursuance ofAnnex 3,paragraph C(iv) oftheWTO Agreement, thefollowing areoutlines
ofthemainpoints toberaised byMr.Stuart Harbinson (Hong Kong) andMr.OleLundby (Norway)
atthereview ofMorocco on17-18 January 1996.
Itisrecalled thatthediscussants actintheirpersonal capacity.
(a) Mr.Stuart Harbinson
1. Morocco 'sactive participation intheUruguay Round andthecommitments ithasundertaken
inthisregard demonstrate itscommitment tothemultilateral trading system.
2. Liberalization oftheeconomy andconsolidation ofitsopenness totheoutside world arethe
laudable principles ofMorocco 'seconomic policy. What arethemain factors currently influencing
thepaceofprogress inputting these principles intopractice?
3. Morocco hasrightly beenpraised foritsprocess ofautonomous trade liberalization starting
intheearly1980s. There are,however, recent suggestions that,despite thefavourable results achieved,
theinitial enthusiasm forthisprocess hasbeensomewhat blunted.
4. Privatization isanimportant element intheprocess ofeconomic liberalization. Theprivatization
programme approved in1989 issaidtocover 40percentoftheState'sportfolio ofownership. An
update onprogress, andanaccount ofthefuture outlook forfurther privatization, would beuseful.
5. Considerable progress hasclearly beenmade inrecent times inderegulating theeconomy and
simplifying bureaucratic procedures. However, itappears thattheGovernment stillplays avery
significant rôleincommercial lifethrough suchprocedures andmeasures asregistration, licensing,
import indentures, fiscal levies onimports, dutyandtaxexemption andrefunds, incentives, subsidies
andothermeasures toprotect domestic production, priceregulation anddomestic content requirements.
6. Theservices sector hasespecially benefitted from theprocess ofliberalization todateandit
ishoped thatMorocco willbeencouraged tocontinue thisprocess andtoparticipate actively infuture
services negotiations.
7. Adoption oflawstogiveeffect toWTO provisions intheareaofemergency action (safeguards,
anti-dumping, subsidies).
./.WT/TPR/W/13
Page2
(b) Mr.OleLundby
1. ImplementationofUruguayRoundresults:overviewofthecurrentsituationinindividualsectors.
Salient issues inthiscontext include thequestion oftariffication inagriculture andintended changes,
$ifany,tosectoral policy régimes (e.g.motor vehicles).
2. Future tariff policies.
Some official tariff rates(column G)appear tobehigher thanthebound rates. Anychanges under
consideration? Intentions tosimplify thetariffstructure through reducing thenumber ofdifferent rates
andaligning theofficial withthecurrently applied rates?
3. Future useofexport promotion policies, including tariff anddutyexemptions. Arethere any
plans tofacilitate theintegration oftheexport sector inthedomestic economy?
4. Interaction ofmultilateral andregional trade policy objectives andinstruments. Points for
discussionwouldincludeMorocco'sfuturestatusinEUmarkets,givencompetitionfromnewpreferential
suppliers, andtheimpact oftheMFA phasing-out.