Are trade preferences a Panacea? The export impact of the African growth and Opportunity Act

Ana M. Fernandes, Alejandro Forero, Hibret Maemir and Aaditya Mattoo

World Development, 2023, vol. 162, issue C

Abstract: Does “infant industry” preferential access durably boost exports? Using country-product-year data for 1992–2017 and triple-differences regressions, we show that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) enhanced apparel exports of African countries on average. But the impact leveled off after the Multi-Fiber Arrangement unleashed competition from Asian countries. Furthermore, the positive average impact masks regional heterogeneity: East Africa’s late-bloomers offset Southern Africa’s boom-bust pattern. Overall, we find little evidence that preferences durably boosted exports.

Keywords: Tariff preferences; Africa; AGOA; GSP; Exports; Multi-Fiber Arrangement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F13 F14 F68 O2 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:162:y:2023:i:c:s0305750x22003047

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106114

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