联合国西亚经济社会委员会-2023年阿拉伯贸易：趋势和亮点（英）

1E/ESCWA/CL4.SIT/2024/Policy brief.1Arab trade in 2023:trends and highlightsArab exports’ share of global exports $1,389 billion -11.4%Value of total Arab merchandise exports in 2023Changes in Arab exports5.8%©Rawf8/stock.adobe.com2 Key messagesExports trendsIn keeping with global trade trends and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic slowdown in 2020, Arab exports experienced significant growth throughout 2021 and 2022, culminating in a remarkable 46.2 per cent surge in 2022, surpassing the global average of 11.4 per cent. Nonetheless, the deceleration in import demand from key economies primarily in Europe, North America and Asia, accompanied by declining commodity prices, led to a 11.4 per cent drop in total Arab exports, which reached $1,388.6 billion in 2023 (figure 1). This downturn had adverse effects on the balance of payments, particularly impacting oil-exporting Arab nations, partially reducing their benefits from the preceding two years but at the same time improving the trade balances of the more diversified economies like Jordan, Mauritania and Morocco.Figure 1. Total merchandise trade of the Arab region, 2012–2023Trade value in ($ billion)Total exportsTotal imports03006009001,2001,5001,8002012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024Food security poses a significant challenge in the Arab region. To tackle this issue effectively, it is imperative for Governments to incentivize farmers, promote the cultivation of vital crops and essential food items, and diversify import sources to maintain stable supplies.Globalization of manufacturing offers a wealth of opportunities for Arab countries. If they forge strategic partnerships beyond the region, they can seize these opportunities and stay competitive in the global market. This will unlock access to green technologies such as next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and solar energy equipment.Intra-regional trade plays an instrumental role in the development of vital economic sectors in the Arab region where it constitutes more than 75 per cent of export markets for certain domestic industries. To capitalize on this strength, expanding the existing Greater Arab Free Trade Area agreement to include new boundaries would help create more favourable access for Arab exports.Exports and market concentration constitute challenges for many Arab countries, which often export a limited range of products to a small number of markets. To tackle this, it is essential to adopt trade promotion strategies to continually diversify export products and markets.3The Arab region is a significant exporter of energy products, predominantly crude oil and natural gas. The relatively lower crude oil prices in 2023 with a 10 per cent decrease, averaging $83 per barrel, and the 63 per cent decline in natural gas prices from their 2022 levels, impacted the total value of the region’s exports.With nearly half of the region’s countries rich in oil and gas resources, their exports of crude