改善中东与北非的贸易物流效率(doc 10页).doc

Trade Logistics in Developing Countries: The Case of the Middle East and North AfricaAs the pace of global integration continues, developing countries will compete increasingly in terms of their ability to link with global and regional markets competitively and efficiently. An inefficient trade and transport facilitation system can create obstacles and incurs real costs in terms of the product value international agencies estimate that outdated trade administration procedures and the failure to adopt IT-supported trade facilitation account for seven per cent of the value of the goods traded.For countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, improving the efficiency of trade logistics is a critical priority. The region is losing global market share in key export sectors and non-oil exports are among the lowest in the developing world with less than one per cent of world market share in non-fuel exports relative to more than ten per cent in countries of the East Asia/Pacific region and more than four per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean. With respect to foreign direct investment, the regions performance also lags considerably behind other developing regions net FDI is less than one percent of GDP for the region as a whole, compared with 2.6 per cent for Latin America and the Caribbean and 1.8 per cent for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.Improve the efficiency of trade logistics in Middle East and North Africa: Critical Issues for PolicymakersThese case studies point to a number of difficulties for exporting firms in the Middle East and North Africa region including generally poor quality and costly transport services, long shipping times, obstructive bureaucracy, inadequate trade-related services such as insurance, finance and transport intermediaries and others. Among the more important areas of concern for policymakers include the following.1. A Fragmented Trucking IndustryThe trucking industry, a key conduit for goods in most Middle East and North Africa countries including the ones surveyed here, is in urgent need of reform due to the general prevalence of freight monopolies and partial rate control. In Yemen, for example, loads assigned on the basis of a queuing system are managed by cartels that operate on a regional basis (e.g., in Hodeidah, Aden, Mukalla, etc.). In addition, the trucking industry is not allowed to charge market rates for essential commodities that are regulated by the Ministry of Transport. Pricing practices are not economically efficient since the high rates levied on non-regulated commodities are used to offset the low rates received for essential commodities.In Egypt, the trucking industry has the freedom to set rates, but licensing, safety, vehicle weights and dimensions and other operating aspects of the industry are regulated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. In Jordan, the Unified Company for Organizing Land Transport, a cartel established by government to organize private trucking, assigns loads (based on turns) for trucks operating in the Aqaba and Zarqa Free Zones with trucks getting a turn once every two weeks. While the cartels control the load assignments, ownership of the trucks is highly fragmented and in the hands of many small operators. Transport rates set by the ministry have been decreasing but have not yet reached a level that will allow Jordanian trucks to compete with neighboring countries.2. Limited Shipping ServicesGiven its small volume of export trade, the Middle East and North Africa region faces higher shipping costs and longer transit times for cargo than other developing countries. This penalizes exporters in an international marketplace where short order to delivery cycle time is required. In addition, it prevents economies of scale from being exploited. The Middle East container market consists of trade with Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, and the region in general is viewed as a transit point on the major shipping route rather than a final destination, between the two prominent container markets of Europe and Asia. Accordingly, most global shipping lines operate through feeder services which means that service level is affected by long and indirect sailing times. For example, a voyage from Jordan to New York requires 42 days while sailing times to Hamburg and Tokyo are 30 and 45 days respectively. 3. Problems with Customs Procedures, Duty-drawbacksMany exporters in the Middle East and North Africa region face significant difficulties in dealing with customs authorities and ill-functioning duty-drawback mechanisms. In Egypt, for example, clearing goods through customs requires 32 signatures for manual filing of documents and coordination with a large number of government agencies, namely the General Organization for Import and Export Control, Organization for Standardization, Food Control Department, and others. The process is intended as a one-stop inspection, but without a single-window inspection procedure that harmonizes clearance procedures with other government departments. The Customs Authority also has an aggressive approach to revenue collection rather than trade facilitation and commercial invoices are rarely accepted as a document in determining the value of the shipment (as per international practice).4. Costly Airfreight Services; Inadequate Port ServicesAirfreight in many Middle East and North Africa countries is largely provided by state-owned airlines and airports, with competition limited by licensing regimes which protect flag carriers. While there has been entry by private carriers in air transport, most are restricted to niche markets. With regard to port services, the majority of ports are run by public authorities in which the authority regulates the port and provides all commercial port services. This model has prevented upgrading of port infrastructure such as the installation of refrigeration capacity.5. Lack of Certication for Product QualityWhile the firms interviewed for this report had clearly passed the quality test for export potential, a number pointed out that this is more the exception than the rule. In many countries, such as Yemen, the inability to certify product quality constitutes a signicant barrier to penetrating global markets, particularly for agricultural products. In the case of the textile exporters, in Egypt and Jordan, signicant time and effort are invested in producing samples to be sent to potential buyers as a test of product quality.6. A Strategy to Promote Efficient Trade Logistics in the Middle East and North Africa RegionBuilding efficient trade logistics systems requires that Middle East and North Africa governments maintain parallel efforts to strengthen the investment climate by closing the gaps with best practice in macroeconomic policy, regulatory frameworks, infra-structure and institutions. Second, there are specific areas of focus within the trade logistics sector (exporters, importers, truck operators, rail carriers, transport intermediaries, insurance companies, etc.) where action is needed. Priority actions include developing and implementing a coherent national transport strategy, integrating institutions to handle trade and transport issues and modernizing trucking regulation.Over the medium term, policymakers can continue efforts to promote exports, helping to increase the flow of goods and creating pressure for reform in other parts of the system through programmes to encourage firm competitiveness and export potential, promoting shippers associations, adequate regulation of transport intermediaries, and ensuring adequate product quality testing and certification methods. In addition, there is a need to encourage greater use of ICT in the trade logistics system, harmonize carrier liability regimes and work with neighboring countries to promote more efficient cross-border transit procedures.(1).Design and implement a coherent National Transport PolicyA National Transport Policy which provides overall but consistent principles for developing individual modes of transport is the first important step for streamlining trade infrastructure. Such a policy would also provide a strategic direction for the further development of other parts of the logistics chain such as port and free zone development. Ideally, a National Transport Policy should be designed to cover issues such as competition and market forces, highest practicable safety standards, economic regulation of carriers and modes of transportation, and ensuring that each carrier or mode of transportation bears a fair proportion of the real costs of the resources, facilities and services provided to that carrier or mode of transportation at public expense.To restructure the current industry into one with capable market contestants, policymakers in the Ministry of Transport should establish new market entry conditions that facilitate competent and financially capable applicants to be approved while others are to be turned away. This approach would require careful planning in setting up the approval process with due diligence given to the minimum size company in terms of fleet size and/or capitalization , number of contestants expected from consolidation, higher standards for vehicle safety, and other criteria. Strong consideration should be given to the transition of the trucking industry on an industry-by-industry segment basis to minimize the chaotic process and maximize the lessons learned from the transformation of each industry segment, since the trucking industry is heterogeneous. (2).Reorient customs authoritiesA number of Middle East and North Africa countries such as Egypt would benefit from reorientation of customs authorities from revenue collection to trade facilitation. Jordans experience is instructive in this regard. Today, Jordans cross-border authorities are more progressive than most developing countries in the Middle East, with a Customs Department which has moved considerably towards supporting the national economy, promoting investment, facilitating trade, and protecting society and the environment from hazardous materials. Training and the creation of a positive work environment which motivates and sustains professionalism have been important factors contributing to this result. Other initiatives include implementing ASYCUDA and other information technologies, simplifying customs procedures, increasing transparency in dealing with the public (e.g., establishing a partnership committee with the private sector with monthly meetings) and speeding up duty refunds to the public. Freight forwarders, multimodal transport operators and logistics service providers play a central role in the development of efficient intermodal transport services. However, they are not institutionally recognized as carriers in most Middle East and North Africa countries even though exporters and importers hire them as the contracting carrier. There is a need to develop appropriate regulation of this sector which would entail ensuring a public test of fitness or competence before such companies are allowed to engage in business. At the same time, there is a need to encourage the establishment of a national association to set the standards of market entry and competence, such as FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders). (3).Establish international transit agreements to remove uncertainty of trans-border truckingGood international practice requires no physical transfer of goods or time-consuming clearance procedures that compromise border formalities or national security. Canada and the United States, as members of NAFTA, are one example in which procedures have been worked out to allow the trucks of either country to transport international freight over the border, as well as pick up incidental domestic loads on the return journey (railways are allowed too but not for incidental loads). Countries in the European Union too have worked out transit agreements through TIR carnets to facilitate efficient cross-border trade and transit.A regional transport network based on an international transit agreement and ensuring its enforceability would be a strong instrument for promoting intraregional trade and an asset vis-vis attracting foreign investors. Policymakers in the region can make concerted efforts to convene with neighboring countries to encourage intra-regional traffic as well as facilitating international and transit commerce. This initiative should build on the Agreement on International Roads in the Arab Mashreq developed under the auspices of UN/ESCWA in which the member states agreed that an integrated transport system in the Arab Mashreq should be developed.In addition, the United Nations Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) has already been acceded to by several countries in the Arab Mashreq, i.e. Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic and Kuwait. The TIR carnets provide a proven model in which a transit agreement could be developed and it would be in the regions interest to adopt one.发展中国家的贸易物流：以中东和北非地区为例随着全球一体化的步伐继续下去，发展中国家将越来越多地在他们的竞争能力，与全球和区域市场竞争力和效率方面的联系。效率低下的贸易和运输便利化系统会造成并产生产品价值方面的实际成本障碍，国际机构估计，按实际成本过时的贸易管理程序和没有采取IT支持贸易便利化的账户，占货物交易价值的百分之七。对于在中东和北非地区各国改善贸易物流效率，是一个重要的优先事项。该地区正在失去重要的出口部门和非石油产品出口全球市场份额位居全球最低的发展 - 以不到世界非燃料出口市场份额的百分之一的国家相对于超过百分之十东亚/太平洋地区，每超过百分之四在拉丁美洲和加勒比地区。关于外国直接投资，该地区的表现也落后大大落后于其他发展中地区。把地区作为一个整体，净外国直接投资还不到国内生产总值的百分之一，相比之下，拉丁美洲和加勒比为百分之一点八，东欧和中亚为百分之二点六。改善中东和北非的贸易物流效率：决策制定的关键问题这些案例研究指出，在中东和北非地区出口企业的一些困难，包括质量普遍较差，昂贵的运输服务，运输时间长，阻塞官僚主义，缺乏与贸易有关的服务，如保险，金融和运输中介机构和其他方面的服务。决策者之间更关注的重要领域包括以下内容。1被分割的货车运输业对于货车运输业，在多数中东和北非国家包括那些在这里接受调查的商品的主要渠道，是在改革由于货运垄断和局部控制率普遍流行的迫切需要。 在也门，例如，在排队系统的基础上分配货载量是由地区性经营的联合企业处理的（例如，在荷台达，亚丁，穆卡拉等）。此外，货运业是不允许去指责由交通运输部规定的基本商品的市场价格。定价做法是不符合经济效益，因为高利率对非管制的商品征收是用来抵消基本商品收到的低利率。在埃及，货运业可以自由设定利率，异议许可证，安全，车辆的重量和尺寸而该行业的其他经营方面是受交通运输和通信部管理。在约旦，由政府设立的统一组织陆上运输公司，联合企业给在亚喀巴和扎尔卡自由区运行的货车组织私营货运，分配货载量（驾车圈数基础上）使货车得到一圈每两周一次。虽然卡特尔控制负荷转让，卡车所有权高度分散，在很多小本经营者手中。该部已减少，但尚未达到一定水平，将允许约旦卡车与周边国家的竞争设置运输费率。2. 有限的运输服务由于其体积小，出口贸易，中东和北非地区面临比其他发展中国家的货物运输成本较高和较长的运送时间。这阻碍了在国际市场，以在较短的交货周期时间是必需的出口商。此外，它可以防止被利用规模经济。中东集装箱市场包括与欧洲，亚洲，北美和非洲的贸易，并在整个区域被认为是一个重要的航运路线上的中转站，而不是欧洲和亚洲的两个突出的集装箱市场之间的一个最终目的地。因此，大多数全球航运公司的经营是通过接驳服务，这意味着服务水平是受长期和间接航行时间的影响。例如，从约旦到纽约的航程需要42天的航行时间，而汉堡和东京分别为30和45天。3. 海关程序和退税问题在中东和北非地区的许多出口企业面临与海关当局和运转不畅的关税退税机制方面的重大困难。在埃及，例如，结算货物通关需要32个备案文件的手册和与大量的政府机构协调，即对进口和出口管制组织总标准化组织，食品控制署，以及其他协调部门签名。这个过程的目的是作为一个一站式的检查，但没有一个单一的窗口检查程序，与其他政府部门相协调通关手续。海关总署还设有一个积极的税收征管办法，而不是贸易便利化和商业发票很少作为在确定货物的价值的文件接受（按国际惯例）。4. 空运服务昂贵；港口服务不足在许多中东和北非国家的航空货运量在很大程度上是由国有航空公司和机场，以及由发牌制度可以保护有限的旗舰航空公司的竞争。虽然已被私人航空公司的航空运输项目，大多是限于利基市场。关于港口服务，港口多数都是由该部门在规定的港口和港口服务提供了所有的商业公共当局。这种模式已无法提升港口基础设施，如安装的制冷能力。5. 缺乏对产品的质量认证虽然这个报告采访的公司已明确通过了“质量”的出口潜力测试中，然而一些代表指出，这是更多的例外而不是规则。在许多国家，如也门，无法保证产品质量构成重大障碍，渗透全球市场，尤其是农产品。在纺织品出口国埃及和约旦，大量的时间和精力，案例是投资生产的样品被送到作为产品质量检验的潜在买家。6. 推动中东和北非地区的贸易物流效率的一项战略建设高效率的贸易物流系统要求中东和北非地区各国政府保持共同的努力，以加强投资环境，通过最佳的宏观经济政策做法、管理框架、基础设施和机构来缩小差距。第二，有具体的重点领域内的贸易物流业（出口商，进口商，卡车运营商，铁路承运人，运输中介机构，保险公司等）采取行动是必要的