Comesa and Sadc: Prospects and Challenges for Regional Trade Integration

December 1, 2004

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Padamja Khandelwal. Comesa and Sadc: Prospects and Challenges for Regional Trade Integration, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2004) accessed December 3, 2024

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

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.

Subject: Customs unions, Imports, International trade, Tariffs, Taxes, Taxes on trade, Trade policy

Keywords: Africa, COMESA, Customs unions, East Africa, Economic Partnership Agreements, Imports, Member country, Regional Integration, Revenue loss, SADC, SADC country, SADC trade negotiator, SADC trade protocol, Southern Africa, Tariffs, Taxes on trade, Trade expansion, Trade liberalization, Trade policy, Trade regime, Trade tax, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

43
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2004/227
Stock No:

WPIEA2272004
ISBN:

9781451875447
ISSN:

1018-5941

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