Working Paper 79 - Impacts and Challenges of Multilateral and Bilateral Trade Agreements on Africa

Abstract

Africa must continue to be active in international trade negotiations as it is being squeezed. Policy changes in its markets, dubbed incorrectly as ‘liberalisation’ by proponents is eroding rapidly the competitive advantage conferred on traditional exports to long standing markets without offering new openings for novel products or markets. This paper analyses the nature of relevant changes in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the bilateral policies of the Quad (Canada, the EU, Japan and the USA). Among the latter it gives special attention to the Economic Partnership Agreements that sub-Saharan Africa needs to negotiate with the EU and to changes in Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).