Economic Partnership Agreements and the Export Competitiveness of Africa

Trade can be a key driver of growth for African countries, as it has been for those countries, particularly in East Asia, that have experienced high and sustained rates of growth. Economic partnership agreements with the European Union could be instrumental in a competitiveness framework, but to do so they would have to be designed carefully in a way that supports integration into the global economy and is consistent with national development strategies. Interim agreements have focused on reciprocal tariff removal and less restrictive rules of origin. To be fully effective, economic partnership agreements will have to address constraints to regional integration, including both tariff and non-tariff barriers; improve trade facilitation; and define appropriate most favored nation services liberalization. At the same time, African countries will need to reduce external tariff peak barriers on a most favored nation basis to ensure that when preferences for the European Union are implemented after transitional periods, they do not lead to substantial losses from trade diversion. This entails an ambitious agenda of policy reform that must be backed up by development assistance in the form of "aid for trade."

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Hoppe, Mombert, Brenton, Paul, Newfarmer, Richard
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2008-05
Subjects:	AGRICULTURE, APPAREL, APPAREL EXPORTS, APPAREL PRODUCERS, BARRIERS TO TRADE, BENCHMARKS, BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, BILATERAL TRADE, BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, COMMODITIES, COMMODITY, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, COMPETITION POLICIES, COMPETITION POLICY, COMPETITIVENESS, CONCESSIONS, CONFORMITY ASSESSMENTS, CONSUMER PRICES, CUSTOMS, CUSTOMS REVENUES, CUSTOMS UNION, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, DISPUTE RESOLUTION, DOMESTIC MARKETS, ECONOMIC RESOURCES, ECONOMIC SIZE, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, EQUILIBRIUM, EUROPEAN UNION, EXCHANGE RATES, EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS, EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION, EXPORT GROWTH, EXPORT MARKET, EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES, EXPORT PATTERNS, EXPORT PERFORMANCE, EXPORT PRICES, EXPORT PROCESSING, EXPORT PROCESSING ZONES, EXPORT PROMOTION, EXPORT PROMOTION AGENCIES, EXPORT VALUE, EXPORTERS, EXPORTS, EXTERNAL BARRIERS, EXTERNAL TARIFF, EXTERNAL TARIFFS, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FINANCIAL SERVICES, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, FREE ACCESS, FREE TRADE, FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS, FREE TRADE AREAS, GDP, GLOBAL COMPETITION, GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS, GLOBAL ECONOMY, GLOBAL EXPORTS, GLOBAL INTEGRATION, GLOBAL MARKET, GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, GLOBAL MARKETS, GLOBAL OUTPUT, GLOBAL TRADE, GLOBALIZATION, GOVERNMENT REGULATION, GRAVITY MODEL, GROWTH IN TRADE, GROWTH POTENTIAL, GROWTH RATE, GROWTH RATES, HARMONIZATION, HUMAN CAPITAL, IMPORT DUTIES, IMPORT TAXES, IMPORTS, INCENTIVE STRUCTURE, INCOME, INCOME TAXES, INCOMES, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, INTERNATIONAL MARKET, INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INVESTMENT CLIMATE, INVESTMENT REGIME, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET POLICIES, LABOR MARKETS, LDCS, LOST TARIFF REVENUE, LOST TARIFF REVENUES, LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, MARKET ACCESS, MARKET FAILURES, MARKET INFORMATION, MARKET PRICES, MARKET SHARE, MARKET SHARES, MARKET SIZE, MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES, MONOPOLIES, MOST FAVORED NATION, MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS, MULTILATERAL LIBERALIZATION, MULTILATERAL TRADE, MULTILATERAL TRADE LIBERALIZATION, MUTUAL TRADE, NATIONAL COMPETITION, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NEW MARKETS, NEW PRODUCTS, NON-TARIFF BARRIERS, OPENNESS, PARTIAL EQUILIBRIUM ANALYSIS, PATTERN OF TRADE, POLICY RESEARCH, POLITICAL ECONOMY, PORTFOLIO, POSITIVE EFFECTS, POWER PARITY, PREFERENTIAL ACCESS, PREFERENTIAL MARKET ACCESS, PREFERENTIAL RATES, PREFERENTIAL TARIFF, PREFERENTIAL TARIFFS, PREFERENTIAL TRADE, PREFERENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENTS, PRICE CONTROLS, PRODUCTIVITY, PROTECTIONIST, PURCHASING POWER, RAPID GROWTH, RATE OF GROWTH, RECIPROCAL TARIFF REDUCTION, REFORM PROGRAM, REFORM PROGRAMS, REGIONAL INTEGRATION, REGIONAL TRADE, REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS, REGULATORY OVERSIGHT, RESTRICTIVE RULES OF ORIGIN, SAFETY NETS, SAFETY STANDARDS, SOCIAL SAFETY NET, SOURCING, TARIFF BARRIERS, TARIFF EXEMPTIONS, TARIFF RATE, TARIFF RATES, TARIFF REDUCTIONS, TARIFF REFORM, TARIFF REVENUE, TAX, TAX POLICY, TAX RATES, TAX REVENUE, TAX REVENUES, TAX STRUCTURES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, TOURISM, TRADE AGREEMENT, TRADE COMMISSIONER, TRADE COMPETITIVENESS, TRADE COSTS, TRADE DIVERSION, TRADE FACILITATION, TRADE FLOWS, TRADE IN GOODS, TRADE IN SERVICES, TRADE INTEGRATION, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, TRADE PATTERNS, TRADE POLICIES, TRADE POLICY, TRADE PREFERENCES, TRADE PROMOTION, TRADE PROTECTION, TRADE REFORM, TRADE REFORMS, TRADE REGIME, TRADE RELATIONS, TRADE RELATIONSHIPS, TRADE TAXES, TRANSFER OF TARIFF REVENUE, TRANSPORT COSTS, TURNOVER, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNILATERAL REFORM, VALUE OF EXPORTS, VALUE OF TRADE, VOLUME OF TRADE, WAGE GAP, WAGE RATES, WAGES, WELFARE IMPACTS, WORLD ECONOMY, WORLD MARKET, WTO,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/05/9473003/economic-partnership-agreements-export-competitiveness-africa https://hdl.handle.net/10986/6688
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