COMCEC Trade Outlook 2017
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of trade, limited access to overseas markets, inadequate financial resources and underdeveloped
financial systems.
Besides giving background information on the activities of the COMCEC for increasing intra-OIC
trade, the document also introduces the COMCEC Strategy for increasing trade and addressing
the common obstacles faced by the Member States towards reaching this goal.
This Outlook has six sections: The First Section provides the latest trends and developments in
global trade.
The Second Section gives a general overview of the total trade of the OIC Member States. It
outlines the characteristics of trade between the Member States and the rest of the world by
highlighting the composition, direction and the volume of the OIC Member States’ trade and by
evaluating the degree of openness of the OIC Member States.
In the Third Section a general overview of the intra-trade of the OIC Member States is provided
in terms of composition and origin.
The Fourth Section provides a general overview of the trade environment in the OIC Member
States. It summarizes the basic challenges commonly faced by many Member States regarding
trade liberalization, trade facilitation, trade promotion and trade financing.
The Fifth Section concentrates on the role of the COMCEC in improving the trading environment
in the Member States and enhancing intra-OIC trade.
Finally, the Sixth Section concludes.