Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
Events
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Topic Page
Marketing
Start single access now
Access for companies
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Published in:
Introduction: Increasing Dynamics and the New Trading Ecosystem for the South Read chapter Read first chapter

2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Understanding Bilateral Trade Flows and Negotiating South-South RTAs: Lessons and Policy Directions for the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA)

Authors : Musibau Adetunji Babatunde, Gbadebo Odularu

Published in: Negotiating South-South Regional Trade Agreements

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Despite the existence of many regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa, intra-regional trade remains dismally low compared to other RECs in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Hence, the need for a paradigm shifts to the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA) to enhance and reinvigorate the African integration agenda. Consequently, this study explores the benefits and obstacles that can promote or hinder the established TFTA in Africa. The three RECs will need to focus their efforts on making the TFTA effective by covering key areas of trade in goods and services, investment, competition policy, technical barriers to trade, electronic commerce, customs cooperation, rules of origin, intellectual property and dispute settlement.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
previous chapter Africa–Brazil Regional Trade Agreements: Looking Forward with Proactive Strategies
next chapter Leveraging Trade Facilitation (TF) Measures to Maximize the Benefits of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in West Africa
Footnotes
1
Intra-regional trade still continues to be poor and the productive capacities of most of the economics below average.
 
2
While parts of northern Kenya were experiencing major food shortages in January 2011, farmers in the Rift Valley had food surpluses and were imploring the government to buy their excess crops before they went to waste. Businesses must be able to exploit.
 
3
This is similar to the size of Russia and more than four times the size of the European Union.
 
4
At the time of the TFTA launch, not all Tripartite countries had finalized their tariff offers.
 
5
Such a scenario is a welcome development for Zimbabwe as the local industry is still undergoing resuscitation and the country is still to decide on which FTA to join.
 
Literature
Andriamananjara S (2015) Understanding the importance of the tripartite free trade area. African in focus. The Brookings
AU (2012) Synthesis paper on boosting intra-African trade and fast tracking the continental free trade area. African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Carruthers R, Krishnamani RR, Murray S (2010) Improving connectivity: investing in transport infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic Working Paper. World Bank, Washington, DC
Hartzenberg T (2011) Regional integration in Africa. Staff Working Paper ERSD-2011-14. Economic Research and Statistics Division, World Trade Organization
Kimenyi MS, Mbaku J (2011) Elections and violence in Nigeria: the question of citizenship in Sub-Saharan Africa. Brookings Institution, Washington, DC
Kimenyi MS, Lewis ZA, Routman B (2012) Introduction: intra-African trade in context. In: Accelerating growth through improved intra-African trade. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, pp 1–5
Lesser C, Moisé-Leeman E (2009) Informal cross-border trade and trade facilitation reform in Sub-Saharan Africa. OECD Trade Policy Working Paper 86. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris
Luke D, Mabuza Z (2015) The tripartite free trade area agreement: a milestone for Africa’s regional integration process. Bridges Africa 4(6)
Mercurio B (2011) Bilateral and regional trade agreements in Asia: a skeptic’s view. In: Buckley R, Hu R, Arner D (eds) East Asian economic integration: law, trade and finance. Edward Elgar, Northampton, MA, pp 120–144
Muluvi A, Kamau P, Githuku S, Ikiara M (2012) Kenya’s trade within the East African community: institutional and regulatory barriers. In: Accelerating growth through improved intra-African trade. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, pp 20–23
Njiforti PP (2014) Analysis of the prospects for a second monetary zone for West Africa. Afr Dev Perspect Yearbk 17:199–250
Othieno L (2012) Barriers to Uganda’s trade within the regional trade blocs of EAC and COMESA. In: Accelerating growth through improved intra-African trade. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, pp 24–26
Page J (2012) Why intra-African trade matters: working locally to go global. In: Accelerating growth through improved intra-African trade. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, pp 6–7
Taiwo O, Moyo N (2012) Eliminating barriers to internal commerce to facilitate intraregional trade. In: Accelerating growth through improved intra-African trade. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, pp 8–12
UNCTAD (2007) Transport infrastructure for transit trade of the landlocked countries in West and Central Africa: an overview. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Geneva, Switzerland
UNCTAD (2013) Intra-African trade: unlocking private sector dynamism. The economic development in Africa report. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNECA (2011) Study on the establishment of inter-REC’s free trade areas in Africa drawing on lessons from the COMESA-SADC-EAC FTA experience. Final report. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UNECA, AU and ADB (2010) Assessing regional integration in Africa, vol 4, Enhancing intra African trade, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (2009) Industrial development report 2009: breaking in and moving up. UNIDO, Vienna
World Bank and International Finance Corporation (2011) Doing business 2011: making a difference for entrepreneurs. World Bank and International Finance Corporation, Washington, DC
Metadata
Title
Understanding Bilateral Trade Flows and Negotiating South-South RTAs: Lessons and Policy Directions for the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA)
Authors
Musibau Adetunji Babatunde
Gbadebo Odularu
Copyright Year
2017
Book
Negotiating South-South Regional Trade Agreements

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-45568-6

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-45569-3

Copyright Year: 2017

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45569-3_8