The Role Of Foreign trade in addressing structural imbalances in Iraq

Master Thesis submitted by

Student: Hawera Ali Hussein  Al-Masoudi

To the Council of the College of Administration and Economics, for obtaining a master’s degree in economic sciences

Under the supervision of

Prof. Dr. Tawfiq Abbas Abed Aoun Al-Masoudi

Abstract

   The topic of the research focuses on shedding light on the structural imbalances for the purpose of addressing them in the Iraqi economy, which suffers from a noticeable deterioration in the structure of its economic sectors as a result of the weak economic diversification of the country and the increase in the degree of economic exposure, as well as the control of oil on foreign trade on the side of exports, meaning the one-sided economy. And that this significant decrease in the degree of economic diversification created negative effects on the overall components of the structure of the Iraqi economy, and consequently the scarcity of local commodity products and the weakness of the local market in meeting the internal demand, which leads to opening the doors to foreign markets dependent on financing the movement of imports relative to the financial revenues provided by oil exports, which negatively affects the trade balance of the state, and one of the causes of structural imbalances is the lack of coordination between economic policies and the underdevelopment of economic policies. Administration and the spread of financial and administrative corruption as well as dependence on the oil sector and neglect of the rest of the sectors and import from abroad to meet the local need as a result of the inability of the production system to meet the requirements of individuals.

In light of this, the weakness of foreign trade reform policies was reached in correcting structural imbalances during the study period as a result of the problems afflicting the Iraqi economy, such as an almost complete halt to the diversification of exports, i.e. stopping the production wheel and moving the economic cycle, as well as the weakness of policies supporting national production, as it represents a means to achieve development requirements.

On this basis, it is necessary to restructure foreign trade by reducing dependence on the oil sector, diversifying exports, activating economic sectors and reducing imports by activating the industrial sector, working to increase domestic production and activating the agricultural sector to increase production and meet requirements, and this in turn helps reduce the disparity in the role of foreign trade.