West Africa: How West Africa Economic Partnership Deals Put the Cart Before the Horse

analysis

A free trade agreement, in its most basic sense, is an attempt by existing industries to find new markets. Their need to do this arises from industrialisation - that is, the process of developing sectors that attract high levels of protection in the international market. Put differently, domestic sectors looking for markets are usually the driving force behind free trade agreements.

Most African countries do not have the kinds of industries necessary to take advantage of free trade. Developing an industrial policy (or a production policy) is the way to build such industries and a regional free trade area could create a tension that prevents the effective development of those industries.

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