The Impact of Trade Openness on the Industry Reality in Iraq for the Period (2004-2022)

Abstract

Iraq is one of the prominent countries that used to have important industries and enjoyed consumer acceptance, competitiveness, and presence in regional and global markets. However, after 2003 and due to trade liberalization, there needed to be more in the structure of the Iraqi economy. This directly affected the reality of the Iraqi industrial sector, leading to the entry of goods and products from all over the world. With the increase in population and government expenditures, which relied on commodity imports to meet local needs, all aspects of industry in the country were eliminated. The importance of research lies in shedding light on the role of international trade (import and export) in global economies, highlighting the shortcomings in trade policy management, demonstrating the impact of trade openness on the industrial sector's contribution to economic development, and the need for realistic measures to rescue this vital sector from deterioration in Iraq. Moreover, the research problem is based on the direct negative impact of trade liberalization policy on the reality of the industrial sector in the country. Increased reliance on foreign sources to meet local economic needs is attributed to the production apparatus's deficiencies, backwardness, and stagnation, rendering it unable to meet total domestic demand. The research aims to shed light on the role of foreign trade in global economies and to clarify the shortcomings in trade policy management, as well as the extent of the impact of trade liberalization on the reality of the industrial sector in achieving economic development. The research found that the industrial sector in Iraq was negatively affected throughout the period (2004-2022) due to the compulsory trade liberalization policy, which led to the shutdown of factories and plants because of the low prices of imported goods. Paper type Research paper.