Seaport Development – Multi-National Co-operation in West Africa

1974 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babafemi Ogundana
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Pan African ◽  
Popular View ◽  
Regional Basis ◽  
State Relations

Integragation has been a topical issue in inter-state relations in post-independence Africa.1 The most radical of the three suggested strategies is to bid for immediate continental economic and political integration.2 A more popular view is to seek a gradualist approach to pan-African unity via regional economic co-operation;3 this could range from a free trade area, customs union, common market, and economic community, to ultimate political fusion.4 The third, less-studied strategy is for African states to lay the basis for regional economic integration, and even ultimate continental unity, through functional co-operation, for example, in transport, industrial development, trade, and monetary policy.5 This article examines the prospects and problems of co-operation on a regional basis, with particular reference to West Africa, in a specific economic field – namely, seaport development. See Map I, page 399, below.

THE ROLE OF SADC IN BOOSTING DOMESTIC, REGIONAL, CONTINENTAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-98
Author(s):  
Ghazala Begum Essop
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Trade Area

The role of regional economic communities in the development of trade in Africa is widely recognised. Currently, intra-African trade stands at 10 per cent. This is in sharp contrast to other developing regions of the world. In Asia and Latin America, the levels of intra-trade are 50 and 26 per cent, respectively. There are a number of reasons accounting for the low level of intra-African trade, including the weak mandate given to regional economic communities to monitor and enforce the commitments assumed by countries under regional trade agreements. The lack of integration has negatively impacted on African countries and affected their ability to attract foreign direct investment commensurate with their development needs. Had African countries been less exposed to external markets, they would have been minimally affected by the global financial crisis. The importance of boosting intra-African trade was highlighted by Africa’s Heads of State and Government when they devoted this year’s summit to this theme. In the run-up to the summit, the African Union Commission released a study that underscored the importance of regional economic communities in the process of economic integration in Africa. Currently, SADC member states are in the process of implementing the SADC Trade Protocol, which would create a fully-fledged free trade area and later a customs union, and at the same time engaged in tripartite negotiations aimed at merging the three (SADC, COMESA and the EAC) regional configurations. They are also engaged in the EPA negotiations with the European Union, which would create a free trade area and also the Doha negotiations under the auspices of the WTO. The main objective of this article is to estimate SADC countries’ bilateral trade potential, which may result in the improvements in trade facilitation.

scholarly journals Impact of the Enlargement of the European Union on the Foreign Trade and Development of the New Members

ECONOMICS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-51
Author(s):  
Milenko Krajišnik ◽  
Aleksandra Žutić
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Trade ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
New Members ◽  
Trade Area

SummaryOne of the most important characteristics of the process of globalization is the creation of different regional economic integrations. The most developed regional economic integration in the world is the European Union. Since it was found, when six founder countries created the free trade area for coal and steel, European Union passed all the phases of development of the economic integration, through the customs union and common market to the economic and monetary union. Through the six waves of enlargement European Union has become the integration of 28 countries with over 500 million habitants. Every enlargement of this regional integration had an impact on the economic position and the development of both the old and the new members. The biggest increase in the number of members brought the 5th big enlargement of the European Union, when the number of the member countries increased in total for 12 countries, first for 10, and then for 2 more.The effects of this enlargement on former soviet countries are specially interesting not only because of the number of the new members, but also because of the fact that these countries during the joining have also pass the process of the transition to the market economy.The aim of this work is to examine the effects of the enlargement on the foreign trade of the new members, and the effects of the changes in foreign trade on the economic development of these countries. The analysis of the effects of joining the European Union could be interesting for the countries which strive to become members of this economic regional integration.

A Note on West Arican Economic Co-operation

1973 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Curry
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
West African ◽  
Regional Economic Integration ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The West ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Trade Area

Recent articles by André Simmons and K. M. Barbour have analysed the various advantages of, and strategies for, regional economic integration in West Africa.1 This note focuses on the technical obstacles of full integration, and then on sub-regional economic co-operation as a more practical alternative.How can one agree upon an accepted distribution of the benefits from regional economic integration? How could this be implemented among the West African countries ? These are the most difficult and contentious problems associated with forming and operating any customs union and free trade area among the developing countries. If an acceptable distribution of benefits does not come about, then ‘the operation of existing groupings may easily be rendered ineffective or, in extreme cases, they may collapse. The experience of the last few years demonstrates that this is not a remote possibility.’2

scholarly journals How the Belt and Road Initiative Can Help Strengthen the Role of the SCO and Deepen China’s Cooperation with Russia and the Countries of Central Asia

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Na-Xi ◽  
Huang Meng-Fang ◽  
Lu Shan-Bing
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
The Belt And Road

China and Russia issued a joint statement on 8 May 2015 outlining the main approaches to linking the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) projects. Both parties believe that to build the ‘Belt and Road’ project, it is necessary to use economic integration laws and actively enhance the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SOC) in stimulating regional economic cooperation, promoting construction of the SREB and linkage to and cooperation with the EAEU, creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) and simultaneously begin creating a similar FTA among China, Russia and Central Asia to gradually stimulate interstate trade and promote regional economic development, actively developing—along with an improved model of energy cooperation—infrastructure and related industry and strengthening business contacts and jointly promoting construction of the SREB.

Status and Prospects of Economic Development in East Asia

2014 ◽  
pp. 42-52
Author(s):  
M. Potapov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Domestic Investment ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
East Asia Region ◽  
Post Industrial

The East Asia region had survived the global economic crisis of 2008–2009. However, the general slowdown in the region indicates many structural problems. The Chinese economy actively switches to the domestic market, giving priority to domestic investment and consumer demand in the maintenance of the economic growth. The development of integration processes in East Asia leaves open the question of the formation of a region-wide free trade area. East Asia is capable to retain the role of economic growth locomotive, moving towards the level of post-industrial development.

scholarly journals The ASEAN WITHOUT A CUSTOMS UNION OR A SINGLE MARKET CONSEQUENCES OF THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY BLUEPRINT 2025

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-127
Author(s):  
Moh Firstananto Jerusalem
Keyword(s):  
Economic Integration ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Single Market ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Market Economic ◽  
Asean Countries ◽  
Asean Economic Community

Abstract In the ASEAN Economic Community blueprint 2015 the term “single market” was used as a goal of economic community. Theoretically, single market is a level of economic integration after customs union. Under that blueprint, customs union could have a chance to be established as a necessary prerequisite for single market. However, the new blueprint 2025 does not adopt single market concept anymore. Different terms have been introduced namely “integrated and cohesive economy” and “unified market”. This article aims at assessing economic integration concept adopted in the ASEAN Economic Community blueprint by utilizing content analysis. It will review the change of concept by employing economic integration theory in order to indicate the direction of economic community goal. The finding is that the change of terms reflects the change of concept. As a result, ASEAN Economic Community will have a different direction in pursuing economic integration. Therefore, under the new blueprint ASEAN will not proceed to customs union and single market. However, it will remain at free trade area level of economic integration. In addition, ASEAN will not be a close trade block but tend to be an open regionalism in relation to non-ASEAN countries or regions. Keywords: ASEAN Economic Community, Customs Union, Single Market, Economic Integration, Open Regionalism.

Towards Macro-Economic Convergence in SACU: The Position of Botswana

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabutho Shangase
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
Economic Convergence ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Recent Developments

In light of recent developments such as the African Continental African Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA), incrementalist approaches to regional inte gration that focus on sub-regions seems to have been pushed to the backburner as more focus puts the entire African continent at the centre of integration processes. With all its potential, gradual macro-economic convergence has accordingly been neglected. Discussions on macro-economic convergence have on the other hand been cast over the broader sub-region such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) where a number of indicators and targets have been identified and pursued closely. Whilst looking at Botswana as a point of departure, this paper argues that incremental macro-economic convergence is pivotal to broader regional integration and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) provides an ideal stepping-stone. An incrementalist approach to macro-economic convergence as well as broader regional integration should begin with identifying key formal institutions that serve as custodians of macro-economic policy such as the central banks and departments of finance or treasuries. Using secondary data sources, with Botswana as a case study, this paper foregrounds macro-economic convergence, macro-economic policy making institutions, and SACU as critical building blocks for broader regional integration.

Asean and EC-1992

1990 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Jacques Pelkmans
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
Intermediate Inputs ◽  
Social Growth ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Internal Instability ◽  
Growth Constraints ◽  
Asean Countries

ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, comprises the fastest growing countries of the world economy. Apart from including the only NIE (newly industrialising economy), not having encountered domestic political or social growth constraints—Singapore, with 11 per cent real growth in 1988, 9.2 per cent in 1989 and 10 per cent, first quarter 1990—it consists of recent record holder Thailand (with growth rates above 10 per cent for three years), Malaysia (growth in the 7 per cent—9 per cent range), Indonesia (recent growth 6–7 per cent), Philippines (oscillating growth due to internal instability) and Brunei (an oil-exporting sultanate). The ASEAN countries do not owe their growth to the integration of ASEAN countries into a free trade area, a customs union or a common market. Intra-group trade liberalisation and economic cooperation are still modest. These growth marvels owe their performance to exports, especially to the OECD countries. The quality and very high growth rates of exports were and still are fostered by foreign investment and imports of intermediate inputs from the target markets.

Advancing Regional Integration in Africa through the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
African Union ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World

AbstractThe past decade and a half of the new millennium has ushered in dramatic changes to the architecture of world trade creating both opportunities and challenges for Africa’s development. The paper is critical of the recent paper of the World Bank that resuscitates the approach to trade liberalization and regional integration propagated by the Washington Consensus. The paper argues that African countries should adopt a “development integration” approach to regional integration that seeks to combine trade liberalization, industrial development and infrastructure development. The paper urges the World Bank and Africa’s trading partners from the north and south, such as the EU, the US and China, to work closely with the African Union to advance the negotiations and implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) and the African Union Agenda 2063.

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