“DEVELOPING INTRA-REGIONAL EXCHANGES THROUGH THE ABOLITION OF COMMERCIAL AND TARIFF BARRIERS: MYTH OR REALITY?”

The free movement of goods and services is today a recognised necessary prerequisite for the development of states around the world. The Indian Ocean region has not been excluded. The ambition to create a vast regional market allowing free movement of goods and services was launched by Jacques Chirac at the summit of the Indian Ocean Commission held in 1999 in Reunion Island. This strategic orientation had as objective to support the interregional exchanges amongst the different member States of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).

An analysis of the trade balances of these countries shows that the initial objective has not been reached. The exchanges made between member States have developed to a small extent and in fact represent only 3 to 5 % of the total exchanges registered in the region.