Freedom of Trade measure

Lebanon ninth in MENA on Freedom of Trade Index 2012

Lebanon was ranked in the ninth place in the MENA region and 71st place worldwide in terms of freedom of trade.
According to the 2012 Index of Trade Freedom, released by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, Lebanon received a score of 80.4 points. The world’s average trade freedom score is 74.5 points.

Lebanon ranked ahead of Jordan, Morocco, and Egypt, and behind Yemen, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

The index is calculated based on trade-weighted average tariff and non-tariff barriers, such as restrictions on quality, customs, as well as government intervention.

According to the survey, the cost of trade in Lebanon is burdened by several aspects, including import restrictions, restrictive licensing rules, heavy sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, and corrupt customs administration.