Economic Brief - The Growth of International Trade in Health Services Export Prospects in North Africa

The acceleration of growth and job creation is a major challenge for North African Countries (NAC) which are witnessing a sharp increase in their labour force. The dominance of the textile/clothing sector and of sub-contracting in the automobile sector within the Maghreb’s industrial fabric, as well as the lack of alternative manufacturing specialization are sources of vulnerability. Consequently, new growth and export sectors must be identified. Manufacturing sector prospects are severely constrained by the opening up of markets to Chinese and East Asian competition, while mining sector activities are already quite intensive. In comparison, the opportunities in the service sectors seem to be underestimated.