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1400 GENEVA TIME ( 1200  GMT) 5 OCTOBER 2005  
 
PRESS/TPRB/252 
5 October 2005 
 
(05-4424) 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: TUNISIA 
Trade regime in need fo r further liberalization 
The macroeconomic reforms introduced by Tunisia since the mid-80s have contributed to its good 
recent economic performance that has reduced poverty and contained inflation and the budget 
deficit, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the Trade Policies and practices of Tunisia. 
 But the reforms have not substantially liberalized trade, according to the report, and the strategy 
to promote exports, while heavily protecting enterprises that supply the local market, has created 
a dualism within the economy, between an expo rt sector, strongly supported, and a domestic 
sector that is still heavily protected. 
 
Tunisia’s trade regime remains generally protectionist.  Its participation in different preferential trade agreements further complicates the regime.  The report notes that the simplification of the 
tariff structure, including the reduction of the rates, should enable Tunisia to adhere more closely 
to the principles of the WTO.   Such reforms, to gether with further improvement of Tunisia's tariff 
binding commitments, should make its trade regime more transparent and predictable. 
 
The WTO report, along with a policy statement by Tunisia, will be the basis for the second Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Tunisia by the Trade Polic y Review Body of the WTO on 5 and 7 October 
2005. 
 The following documents are available in MS Wo rd format on the WTO web-site. They can be 
downloaded at http://www.wto.org/english/ tratop_e/tpr_e/tp252.htm  
 • 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  
• Chairperson’s concluding remarks  
• Minutes of the meeting (available appr oximately six weeks after the meeting). PRESS/TPRB/252 
Page 2 of 2 
 
 
 Note 
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 stat ement 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 the 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 at 
https://secure.vtx.ch/shop/boutiques/wto_index_boutique.html  or follow this path :  
www.wto.org >resources > publications > trade policy reviews  
 
The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press , 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States 
Next reviews: 
Guinea : 12 and 14 October 2005 
Bolivia : 1 and 3 November 2005 
Romania : 28 and 30 November 2005 
 For a full list of previous trade policy reviews and the full programme of future reviews go to 
http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/tpr_e/tpr_ e.htm#reviews 
or follow this path : www.wto.org > trade topics > trade policy reviews  
 
END