Ethio-German Konnect 2013 in Addis Ababa

1. Intra-African Trade:
Challenges and
Recommendations
Centrum für internationale Migration
und Entwicklung (CIM)
11/23/2013
By Abebe Abebayehu

2. Outline
q Introductory Remarks
q Barriers
q Why for Intra-Africa
Trade?
q What should be
done?
q Conclusion

3. Introductory Remarks
§ Africa’s share constitutes 2.7 % of global trade
§ Top trading partner regions for Africa Are the European
Union, Asia and the United States
§ Intra-trade among African countries is very lowestimated at around 12%
§ Intra-trade among EU members is about 70%
§ Trade among Asian countries is around 52%
§ Around 50% for North American countries
§ Africa’s integration into the World economy through
WTO and EPAs with limited success
§ Consensus for enhancing intra-Africa trade

4. Barriers for Intra-Africa Trade
§ Productive Capacity:
§ Africa’s economy overly dependent on production and export of
primary products
§ No specialization, value addition or development of a chain
production system between African countries
§ Very little diversification in terms of export products and markets
§ Limited capacity in manufacturing sector

5. Barriers for Intra-Africa Trade
§ Inadequate Infrastructure:
§
§
§
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No internal networks to allow intra-Africa trade
Limited networks of road, rail, air and waterways
Transport costs in Africa among the highest in the world
Low quality of transport networks limits interconnectivity and the
amount of trade countries can do with each other

6. Barriers for Intra-Africa Trade
§ Trade facilitation constraints:
§ Complex customs and administrative procedures and
regulations,
§ Inefficient and costly transit systems due to numerous informal
roadblocks along trade corridors
§ Diverse rules of origin requirements- lack of harmonization
§ Cumbersome documentation
§ Sub-Saharan African countries impose more non-tariff barriers
on trade between themselves than on trade with third countries

7. Why for Intra-Africa Trade
§ Low Investment and Competitiveness
§ Given the low level of intra-African trade and the high cost of
doing business on the African continent, foreign investors have
bypassed Africa
§ High Vulnerability to External Shocks
§ High dependence on trade with the outside world increases
vulnerability to external shocks
§ Missed Growth and Development Opportunity
§ The low-level of intra African trade is a missed growth and
development opportunity for African countries

8. What should be done?
§ Political Will
§ Strong and lasting political resolve to remove barriers to intraAfrican trade
§ Implementation of Agreed Reforms:
§ Enhance implementation of agreed reforms at the national and
regional level
§ Make use of the Multilateral Trading System to support intra-African
trade
§ Increased Investment in Trade-Related Infrastructure:
§ Ports
§ Rail
§ Roads

9. What should be done?
§ Create conducive environment for the growth of the private sector
§ Address trade facilitation constraints:
§ Reduction of all unnecessary roadblocks
§ Harmonization & simplifying customs & transit procedures,
documentation & regulations
§ Establishment & operationalization of One Stop Border Posts
§ Integrated Border Management
§ deeper integration to boost intra-African trade
• Improving Payment system
• Facilitate cross-border payments and address currency constraints

10. What should be done?
§ Improving the flow of information on market and business
opportunities
§ Provide easily accessible and timely information
§ Bridging of information gap thus constitutes an important
component of any strategy for boosting intra‐African trade.
There is no doubt that with adequate information, African
countries can source within the continent some of the products
and services for which they depend on external supply,
§ Eliminate barriers on cross-border movement of people:
§ Create an environment conducive to facilitating the participation
of migrants, in particular those in the diaspora in the
development of their own countries
§ Mobilize diaspora resources (remittances, technology and trade
links) to boost intra-Africa trade

11. Conclusion
§ Intra-African trade more diversified than trade with rest of the world
§ Expanding intra-African trade could yield significant benefits to
African countries in terms of diversifying their production to nontraditional products especially manufactures
§ Trade facilitation key in deepening Africa’s market integration
§ Mobilize diaspora resources
§ “The entrenched view that Africa cannot trade with Africa is a
myth”

12. Thank You!