Business in Libya, Tripoli

The objectives of the subject “Foreign Trade and Business in the State of Libya” are the following:

1. To analyse the Libyan Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the State of Libya
3. To explore the Libyan trade relations with the country of the student
4. To know the Libyan Trade Agreements

Libyan Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements

1. Libya and the Maghrebian Economic Area
2. Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
3. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
   1. COMESA-United States Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
4. COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Agreement
5. Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
6. African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA)
7. Libya-European Union
   1. Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED)
   2. European Neighbourhood Policy
8. Arab Mediterranean Free Trade Agreement (Agadir Agreement)
9. Greater Arab Free-Trade Area (GAFTA)
10. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Jordan
11. Islamic Trade Preferential System (TPS-OIC)
12. Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT)
13. Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP)

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO) (in process of accession)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
4. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, Chicago Convention)
5. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
   1. Convention Relating to Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention) - not a member
6. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN) - not a member

Islamic Organisations

1. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
2. Arab League (LAS)
3. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
   1. Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)
   2. Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
   3. Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC)
4. Asia - Middle East Dialogue (AMED)
5. Summit of South America-Arab Countries (ASPA)
6. Afro-Arab Cooperation
7. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
8. Arab Development Funds

African Trade and Economic Organisations

1. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
2. African Union (AU)
   1. African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption
   2. African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
3. African Development Bank (AfDB)
4. Africa-Turkey Partnership
5. Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP)
6. Africa-Korea Partnership
7. Africa-Japan Cooperation (TICAD)
8. Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
9. Africa-India Framework for Cooperation
10. Africa-BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)
11. Africa-South America Summit (ASA)

Global Organisations

1. OPEC
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
3. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
4. World Bank (WB)
5. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
6. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Civil war in Libya.

The State of Libya.

Due to the complexity of the political situation in Syria; it is discouraged to travel to Syria. Business opportunities are small outside the energy sector.

1. Capital of Libya: Tripoli (1.1 million people)
2. Second city: Benghazi (Cyrenaica region)
3. Largest Libyan cities: Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, El-Beida, Al Khums, Zawiya
4. Neighbour countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan, and Tunisia
5. Area of Libya: 1.8 million square kilometres (the fourth-largest African Country)
6. Libyan Population: 6.2 million people
7. Libyan Mediterranean coast: 2,000 kilometres
8. Political: towards a Democratic transition.
9. Recent Libyan Civil War
10. Volatile political environment
11. Libyan official language: Arabic and Tamazight

More information about Libya (EENI African Portal).

Religion in Libya:

1. Islam (97%)
2. The main branch: Sunni
3. School of Fiqh: Fiqh-al-Maliki

Libya belongs to the Maghrebian Economic Area (Islamic Civilisation and the African Civilisation).

Economy of the State of Libya:

1. Economic recovery in 2012
2. Real Libyan GDP growth: 4.3.
3. The main economic resources are petrol and gas (95% of the Libyan Government revenues/50% of the GDP)
4. Libyan inflation: 7.5%
5. Currency of Libya: Libyan Dinar
6. Great Manmade River Project
7. Zwara and Mesratha Free Trade Zones
8. Tripoli International Fair

Nearest foreign ports:

1. Maghrebian Ports
2. Port Said
3. Tunisian Ports