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RESTRICTED WT/TPR/S/407 27 January 2021

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RESTRICTED WT/TPR/S/407 27 January 2021 RESTRICTED WT/TPR/S/407 27 January 2021 (21-0739) Page: 1/146 Trade Policy Review Body TRADE POLICY REVIEW REPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA This report, prepared for the third Trade Policy Review of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been drawn up by the WTO Secretariat on its own responsibility. The Secretariat has, as required by the Agreement establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), sought clarification from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its trade policies and practices. Any technical questions arising from this report may be addressed to Mark Koulen, Tel: +41 22 739 5224; Ricardo Barba, Tel: +41 22 739 5088; Mombert Hoppe, Tel: +41 22 739 6098; and Martha Lara, Tel: +41 22 739 6033. Document WT/TPR/G/407 contains the policy statement submitted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Note: This report is subject to restricted circulation and press embargo until the end of the first session of the meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This report was drafted in English. WT/TPR/S/407 • The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - 2 - CONTENTS SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 7 1 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................ 13 1.1 Main Features of the Economy .....................................................................................13 1.2 Recent Economic Developments ...................................................................................14 1.3 Fiscal Policy ...............................................................................................................15 1.4 Monetary and Exchange Rate Policy ..............................................................................16 1.5 Balance of Payments ...................................................................................................17 1.6 Developments in Trade and Investment ........................................................................18 1.6.1 Trends and patterns in merchandise and services trade ................................................18 1.6.1.1 Merchandise trade .................................................................................................18 1.6.1.2 Services trade ......................................................................................................21 1.6.2 Trends and patterns in FDI .......................................................................................21 2 TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIMES........................................................................... 23 2.1 General Framework ....................................................................................................23 2.2 Trade Policy Formulation and Objectives ........................................................................26 2.3 Trade Agreements and Arrangements ...........................................................................27 2.3.1 WTO ......................................................................................................................27 2.3.2 Regional and preferential agreements ........................................................................30 2.3.2.1 Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ...................................................30 2.3.2.2 Pan-Arab Free Trade Area (PAFTA) ..........................................................................32 2.3.3 Other agreements and arrangements .........................................................................32 2.4 Investment Regime ....................................................................................................32 3 TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE ........................................................ 39 3.1 Measures Directly Affecting Imports ..............................................................................39 3.1.1 Customs procedures, valuation, and requirements .......................................................39 3.1.2 Customs valuation ...................................................................................................41 3.1.3 Rules of origin .........................................................................................................42 3.1.4 Tariffs ....................................................................................................................42 3.1.4.1 MFN applied tariffs ................................................................................................42 3.1.4.2 WTO bound tariffs .................................................................................................45 3.1.4.3 Preferential rates ..................................................................................................45 3.1.4.4 Tariff exemption ...................................................................................................45 3.1.5 Internal taxes collected at the border .........................................................................45 3.1.6 Import prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing ............................................................47 3.1.7 Contingency measures .............................................................................................49 3.2 Measures Directly Affecting Exports ..............................................................................50 3.2.1 Export procedures and requirements ..........................................................................50 3.2.2 Export taxes and duties ............................................................................................51 3.2.3 Export control .........................................................................................................51 WT/TPR/S/407 • The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - 3 - 3.2.3.1 Export prohibitions ................................................................................................51 3.2.3.2 Export licensing ....................................................................................................52 3.2.4 Export finance, insurance, guarantees, and assistance .................................................53 3.2.5 Special economic zones ............................................................................................54 3.3 Measures Affecting Production and Trade .......................................................................55 3.3.1 Incentives ...............................................................................................................55 3.3.2 Standards and technical requirements ........................................................................57 3.3.3 Sanitary and phytosanitary measures .........................................................................59 3.3.4 Competition policy and price controls .........................................................................62 3.3.5 State trading, state-owned enterprises, and privatization .............................................67 3.3.6 Government procurement .........................................................................................69 3.3.7 Intellectual property rights ........................................................................................71 3.3.7.1 Overview .............................................................................................................71 3.3.7.2 Copyright and related rights ...................................................................................74 3.3.7.3 Industrial property ................................................................................................74 3.3.7.3.1 Overview ..........................................................................................................74 3.3.7.3.2 Trademarks and geographical indications (GIs) ......................................................75 3.3.7.3.3 Industrial designs ...............................................................................................75 3.3.7.3.4 Patents .............................................................................................................75 3.3.7.3.5 Plant variety protection .......................................................................................76 3.3.7.3.6 Layout-designs of integrated circuits ....................................................................76 3.3.7.4 Enforcement .........................................................................................................76 4 TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR ..................................................................................... 78 4.1 Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries ...............................................................................78 4.1.1 Features .................................................................................................................78 4.1.2 Trade .....................................................................................................................79 4.1.3 Policies ...................................................................................................................81 4.1.3.1 Trade policies .......................................................................................................82 4.1.3.2 Domestic policies ..................................................................................................82 4.1.3.3 WTO notifications ..................................................................................................84
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