Quantifying the Effect of Non-Tariff Measures on Imports of Saudi Arabia Using a Panel ARDL Gravity Model

Imad Eldin Elfadil Yousif (), Jawad Alhashim, Kamal Ali Bashir, Mahdi Alsultan and Emad S. Aljohani
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Imad Eldin Elfadil Yousif: Department of Agricultural Economics, Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Jawad Alhashim: Department of Agricultural Economics, Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Kamal Ali Bashir: Department of Agricultural Economics, Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mahdi Alsultan: Department of Agricultural Economics, Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Emad S. Aljohani: Department of Agricultural Economics, Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Saudi Arabia implements a wide range of non-tariff measures on imports and exports. Different research articles have quantified the effect of non-tariff measures on trade, but their effect on Saudi Arabia has not been quantified. The major objective of this paper is to quantify the effect of non-tariff measures on the imports of Saudi Arabia. Panel data from 2000 to 2022 for four major regions trading with Saudi Arabia are used to estimate the panel ARDL gravity model. The results of the bound test confirm the presence of a long-run association between the model variables. In the long-run, the per capita income of Saudi Arabia is the main determinant of imports. In contrast, in the short-run the per capita income has no influence, and the non-tariff measures have a negative effect on import value. At the cross-sectional level, the results confirm the negative effect of non-tariff measures on the selected trade partners with varying degrees. The results ascertain the detrimental effect of the application of technical and non-technical measures on Saudi Arabia’s imports. We recommend policymakers in Saudi Arabia adopt a more transparent policy of NTMs application that leads to a sustainable supply of goods and services and ensures sustainable trade.

Keywords: non-tariff measures; import values; gravity model; panel ARDL; Saudi Arabia; major trade partners; sustainable trade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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