RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/W/6
30June1995
ORGANIZATION
(95-1813)
TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY Original: English
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
Trade Policy Review ofCôte d'Ivoire
Communication from theDiscussants
Inpursuance ofAnnex 3,paragraph C(iv) oftheWTO Agreement, thefollowing areoutlines
ofthemainpoints toberaised byMr.Hervé Jouanjean (European Union) andMr.Johannes H.Human
(South Africa) atthereview ofCôted'Ivoire tobeheldon4-5July1995.
Itisrecalled thatthediscussants actintheirpersonal capacity.
(a) Mr.Hervé Jouanjean
- Ingeneral, howdoestheGovernment intend toretain thecompetitiveness thatresulted from
thedevaluation?
- TheGovernment expects strong economic growth ofupto8.1percentin1997. What are
themaincomponentsofthisexpectedexpansionandarethereindicationsthatgrowthisoccurring
asplanned?
- How doestheGovernment plantostimulate private sector growth without affecting price
stability, given, forexample, therecently observed shortages ondomestic markets forcertain
products?
- Given theexisting debtservice burden, howdoestheGovernment envisage restructuring the
budget inorder toaccompany private sector growth?
- What aretheperspectives forfurther regional integration andtheir likely effect onCôte
d'Ivoire 'strade flows? What willbetherelationship between WAEMU andECOWAS?
(b) Mr.Johannes H.Human
Thereform ofthetrading system
Imports ofgoods
1. RecentlytherehasbeenanimportantliberalizationofthetradingsysteminCôted'Ivoirethrough
thelowering oftariffs. Arethereanyfuture plans/programmes tosimplify thestructure oftheTariff,
forexample theconsolidation ofthefourdifferent import duties?
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2. While alltariffs havebeenbound intheagricultural sector, onlyafewindustrial products have
hadtheirtariffs bound. Arethereanyplans toextend thescope ofthebindings onindustrial products?
3. Given theveryopenpublic procurement régime inCôted'Ivoire, doesCôted'Ivoire intend
tobecome amember oftheWTO Agreement onGovernment Procurement?
Export ofGoods
4. Some export sectors appear tobesetforderegulation andprivatization (e.g.rubber), while
government intervention continues todominate others (e.g.coffee, cocoa). What arethecurrent policies
ofCôted'IvoireregardingStatetradingandexportmonopolies?DoestheGovernmentintendtocontinue
controlling official pricing andinternational marketing, forexample inthemarkets forcocoa, coffee
andcotton?
5. Willreference prices forcocoa exports remain tobeguaranteed? IftheCaistab maintains its
export monopoly, howwilltheGovernment avoid/manage potentially wide discrepancies between
guaranteed prices toexporters andthose effectively obtained onworld markets?
6. Arethere anyplans regarding thepossible diversification oftheexport market forcocoa in
thelightoftherecent changes toEUregulations thatmight affect theexport ofcocoa totheEuropean
Union?
Trade inServices
7. What arethepricing policies intheoildistribution, electricity andwater sectors? What
mechanisms ensure thathighprices donottranslate intohighinput costsandthereby hamper exports?
8. What havebeentherecent reforms intheareaofmaritime transport andhowhavethese affected
theconditions oftrade inthissector?