WTO Comments On Mauritian Trade Reforms
To cope with several challenges to its economic regime, Mauritius has undertaken
recently bold reforms aimed at liberalizing its trade regime and boosting competitiveness;
the reforms have begun to bear fruit, providing a real GDP growth of 5.1% on
average per year since 2003, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade
policies and practices of Mauritius. The strong growth in the services sector, the most important in terms of its
contribution to GDP (almost 70% in 2006), and the recovery of the textile industry
have provided the backbone to this good performance, the WTO explained. The report, published this week, added that the Mauritian trade regime would benefit from increased predictability
if the gap between applied and bound rates was reduced, and the existing services
commitments were improved to make them better reflect the current more liberal
regime applied in the sector. Additionally, the report noted that Mauritius' participation in various regional
trade agreements is difficult to manage and to reconcile with its plans to transform
the country into a duty-free island. The WTO Secretariat report, along with a policy statement by the Government
of Mauritius, form the basis for the third TPR of Mauritius by the Trade
Policy Review Body of the WTO. .
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