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Journal of International Trade Law and Policy: The African continental free trade area: the road ahead for the continent’s bold integration project
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Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the road ahead for the African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA), focusing on its potential opportunities and challenges. It is intended to help the AfCFTA’s effective
implementation by highlighting the major areas of intervention for State Parties.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses relevant economic, political and legal research
sources on regional integration in Africa and offers some personal views of the author to evaluate the past,
present and future of the AfCFTA.
Findings – The paper shows that the AfCFTA can support its State Parties’ industrialization and
diversification, better integrate micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to regional value
chains, create jobs, encourage sustainable investments and help its State Parties have common positions
on global issues and achieve development. But, it also shows the challenges facing the AfCFTA, which
include infrastructure gap, revenue and job losses, overlapping membership of State Parties in Regional
Economic Communities, cumbersome customs systems, difficulty to cross African borders, fledgling
MSMEs and inadequate technical capacity on trade policy. Accordingly, it recommends that State
Parties continuously take various actions to address these challenges and maximize the multiple
benefits of the AfCFTA.
Originality/value – The paper provides a comprehensive and up-to-date appraisal of the opportunities
and challenges of the AfCFTA, both in the context of the history of regional integration in Africa and the
recent global shocks that adversely impacted the continent (COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine).
Bereket Alemayehu Hagos - Personal Name
NONE
Text
ENGLISH
EMERALD INSIGHT
2023
ENGLAND
JURNAL ILMU HUKUM
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APA Citation
Bereket Alemayehu Hagos. (2023).Journal of International Trade Law and Policy:
The African continental free trade
area: the road ahead for the
continent’s bold
integration project.(Electronic Thesis or Dissertation). Retrieved from https://localhost/etd