PRESS RELEASE 
EMBARGO  
NOT FOR PUBLICATION, OR DISTRIBUTION BY NEWS AGENCIES UNTIL 
1400 GENEVA TIME ( 1300  GMT) 2 APRIL 2008  
 
PRESS/TPRB/297 
2 April 2008 
 
(08-1149) 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: MADAGASCAR 
Strong growth which a more pred ictable trade regime could help 
sustain 
Since 2002, Madagascar’s economy has recorded sustained real growth at an annual average rate 
of 6,2 percent, attributed in particular to trade liberalization reforms, and boosted primarily by the expansion of industrial activities, construction, financial services, telecommunications and 
transport, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Madagascar. 
 This performance would improve with a more tran sparent, credible and predictable trade regime 
that can be achieved by stronger multilateral commitments by Madagascar through extension of its 
tariff bindings to more non-agricultural products, lower bound rates and stronger GATS commitments. A reform of the taxation system, to respect the principle of national treatment, 
would add consistency to Madagascar’s trade regime. 
 Such an improved climate would help Madagascar to attract the capital needed to exploit its vast 
potential and derive greater benefit from its participation in the multilateral trading system. The 
international community could give Madagascar more help in its reform efforts by responding favourably to its request for technical assistance. 
 
The WTO Secretariat report, along with a policy st atement by the Government of Madagascar, will 
be the basis for the second TPR of Madagascar by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 2 
and 4 April 2008. 
 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/tp297_e.htm  
 • Secretariat reports 
> Contents and summary observations  
> Economic environment  > Trade and investment regimes  
> Trade policies and practices by measure  
> Trade policies by sector  > Appendix tables  
 PRESS/TPRB/297 
Page 2 of 2 
 
 
 • Report by Government of Madagascar 
• Chairperson’s concluding remarks  
• Minutes of the meeting (available appr oximately six weeks after the meeting). 
Note 
Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO Agreement, 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: 
Mauritius: 23 and 25 April 2008 
China: 21 and 23 May 2008 
United States: 9 and 11 June 2008 
 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