Protection facing exports from sub-Saharan Africa in the EC, Japan, and the United States

Abstract

The authors address two questions in this report : 1) have exporters in sub - Saharan Africa (SSA) faced more or less protection in Japan, the EC, and the United States than other developing countries and 2) to what extent has protection in those markets constrained SSA's export growth. The authors find that on the whole SSA suffered relatively little from either tariff or nontariff protection in the major industrial markets. In part, this is because they often get a better preferential treatment, especially in the EC, and also, it is because their exports are heavy in primary goods which aregenerally subject to less protection. The authors finally point out that there is no compelling evidence that protection in the major industrial markets has constrained export growth in SSA.Economic Theory&Research,Trade Policy,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Environmental Economics&Policies,Export Competitiveness