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PRESS RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/292

TRADE POLICY REVIEW:

Acceleration of reforms would help sustain strong growth

Since its third Trade Policy Review (TPR) in 2003, Turkey has been implementing ambitious reforms that have resulted in high economic growth, rapid disinflation, and declining public and external debt burdens, according to a report on the trade policies and practices of Turkey published by the WTO Secretariat.

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An important element in Turkey’s performance is that its applied MFN tariff on non-agricultural goods are at relatively low rates. The high level of tariff protection for agriculture, however, has limited the exposure of the sector to competition. The report states that an acceleration of Turkey’s structural reforms, extension of the scope of tariff binding commitments, reduction of bound rates, and further tariff rationalization would help sustain its economic performance.

An additional favourable factor is that Turkey has moved to improve the investment climate. As a result, Turkey’s annual Foreign Direct Investment inflows reached a peak estimated at around US$20,000 million in 2006. Nevertheless, the report indicates that a number of sectors are still subject to FDI restrictions (e.g. broadcasting, fishing, petroleum, mining, and financial services). Turkey also continues to build on an extensive network of preferential trade agreements due to its customs union with the EC.

The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government of Turkey, will be the basis for the fourth TPR of Turkey by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 10 and 12 December 2007.

The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government, will be the basis for the Trade Policy Review (TPR) by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO.

The following documents are available in MS Word format.

• Secretariat report
  > Contents and summary observations
  > Economic environment
  > Trade and investment regimes
  > Trade policies and practices by measure
  > Trade policies by sector
  > Appendix tables
    
• Government report, Corr.1
    

Note  back to top

Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.

Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop.

The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.

Schedule of forthcoming reviews  back to top

Pakistan: 16 and 18 of January 2008
Ghana: 28 and 30 of January 2008
Mexico: 11 and 13 February 2008

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