Beirut, Apr 20 (UNI) A sharp rise in U.S. trade protectionism is placing Arab economies under mounting pressure, endangering 22 billion U.S. dollars worth of non-oil exports, according to a policy brief released Saturday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Jordan emerges as the most vulnerable, with nearly a quarter of its total exports bound for the United States. Bahrain is also flagged due to its heavy dependence on aluminum and chemical exports to the U.S. market.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates could see disruptions to roughly 10 billion dollars in U.S.-bound re-exports, a result of U.S. tariffs on goods originally produced in third countries, said the brief.