Comesa and Sadc: Prospects and Challenges for Regional Trade Integration

Padamja Khandelwal

No 2004/227, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: Regional integration has been seen in Africa as a means of encouraging trade and securing economies of scale. This paper examines in detail the prospects and challenges for trade expansion in the two most prominent arrangements in eastern and southern Africa: the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It finds that possibilities of growth in intraregional trade may be limited, but that the two arrangements offer opportunities for member countries to gain policy credibility for trade reforms and tariff liberalization and to address structural weaknesses. In this regard, the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union can also have a significant impact.

Keywords: WP; SADC trade protocol; member country; trade liberalization; SADC country; trade regime; COMESA; SADC; Regional Integration; Economic Partnership Agreements; SADC trade negotiator; trade tax; trade expansion; revenue loss; Tariffs; Customs unions; Imports; Trade policy; Taxes on trade; Africa; Southern Africa; East Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43
Date: 2004-12-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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