Togo

“Trade Policy Reviews” analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat a report by the government and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - “key trade facts” - provides a visual overview of the WTO member’s major exports/imports main export destinations origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Côte d’Ivoire Guinea-Bissau and Togo.

This joint Trade Policy Review of Côte d’Ivoire Guinea-Bissau and Togo has allowed us to situate the three countries’ trade and trade-related policies and practices in their socio-economic context. We are grateful for the active participation of the delegations headed respectively by H.E. Dagobert Banzio Minister of Trade of Côte d’Ivoire and H.E. Kwesi Séléagodji Ahoomey-Zunu Minister of Trade of Togo. I would also like to thank the discussant H.E. Mr. Luzius Wasescha Permanent Representative of Switzerland and Members of the TPRB for contributing to our fruitful exchange of views as well as the WAEMU Commission for its assistance to its members under review.

By ratifying the Final Act establishing the World Trade Organization in January 1995 Côte d’Ivoire became one of the WTO’s original Members. The country went on to submit its first trade policy review in that same year since then it has undertaken various institutional economic financial and administrative reforms with a view to its progressive and positive integration into world trade. However since 1999 it has experienced a cycle of socio-political instability which has had the effect of slowing down its social and economic development.