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PRESS RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/319

TRADE POLICY REVIEW:

Diversification of the economy and structural reforms essential for continuing stability and growth

From 2003 to mid 2008, Zambia’s economy moved from stagnation towards steady growth, greater prosperity and better access to foreign investment. Real GDP grew at an annual average rate of 5-6% led by the mining, construction and services sectors, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Zambia.

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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 report notes the problem of the Zambian economy’s increasing dependence on mining —copper now accounts for over 75% of total exports, up from 65% in 2002— and stresses the need for progress on structural reforms to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on natural resources.

Zambia’s relatively open trade policy has remained substantially unchanged during the review period, although the continuing large gap between the average applied MFN tariff rate (13%) and the bound rate (105%), and the absence of bindings for over 83% of tariff lines, tend to create a degree of unpredictability for traders, according to the report.

The report, along with a policy statement by the Government of Zambia, will be the basis for the third Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Zambia by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 27 and 29 of July 2009.

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
  > Aid for Trade
  > Appendix tables
    
• Government report
    

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

Chile: 7 and 9 October 2009
Maldives: 26 and 28 October 2009
Southern African Customs Union (SACU): 4 and 6 November 2009

SEE ALSO    > Full list of previous TPRs

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