ABSTRACT This paper explores the impact of trade liberalisation on the economies of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) as they attempt to reform their economies by liberalising trade with other nations in order to promote growth and increase welfare. We investigate the time period from 1995 to 2009 in terms of export growth, import growth, the balance of trade, and the balance of payments by using two different estimation techniques: ordinary least square, and panel-corrected standard-error models. Our empirical evidence shows that trade liberalisation did not enhance export growth in AMU countries during the given period. Trade liberalisation worsened the balance of trade and the balance of payments. Governance indicators turn out to be important factors in order to achieve the intended effects of trade liberalisation.

中文翻译：

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贸易自由化，治理和国际收支：阿拉伯马格里布联盟的证据

摘要本文探讨了贸易自由化对阿拉伯马格里布联盟（AMU）经济的影响，他们试图通过与其他国家自由贸易来改革经济以促进增长和增加福利。我们使用两种不同的估算技术，即普通最小二乘法和面板校正的标准误差模型，对1995年至2009年这段时期的出口增长，进口增长，贸易差额和国际收支进行了调查。我们的经验证据表明，在一定时期内，贸易自由化并没有促进AMU国家的出口增长。贸易自由化使贸易平衡和国际收支恶化。治理指标被证明是实现贸易自由化预期效果的重要因素。