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Supplementary Trade Benefits of Multi-Memberships in African Regional Trade Agreements

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  • Nicholas Ngepah
  • Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha

Abstract

Few papers have investigated the trade effects of multi-memberships of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), but none has done this in an Africa-wide manner. This paper investigates the supplementary trade effects of multi-memberships of RTAs after controlling for single-membership for all African RTAs. We use (1) overall number of RTAs by country pair; (2) dummies of number of RTAs; and (3) number of RTA memberships by countries within each RTA grouping, in a panel of 53 African countries from 1995 to 2014. The gravity models are estimated with the Eicker-White robust covariance Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood (PPML) which is superior to previous ones. All the estimates concur that multi-memberships have significant additional intra-Africa trade benefits which increase with the number of memberships. The implication is that although RTAs enhance trade in Africa, it is only a second-best to a complete integration of the African continent. A complete dismantling of politically induced trade barriers and even inter-RTA boundaries within Africa will yield significant intra-Africa trade benefits. The results support the ongoing efforts in Africa in pursuing a “one Africa” vision. Such efforts have to transcend regional integration and pursue the ideal of an integrated Africa for the full trade benefits to be realized.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas Ngepah & Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha, 2019. "Supplementary Trade Benefits of Multi-Memberships in African Regional Trade Agreements," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 505-524, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:wjabxx:v:20:y:2019:i:4:p:505-524
    DOI: 10.1080/15228916.2019.1584719
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2024. "Investigating Financial Development and Its Direct and Indirect Environmental Effects in South Africa: Fresh Policy Insights," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 36(2), pages 428-495, April.
    2. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Nicholas Ngepah, 2022. "Disaggregating the environmental effects of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption in South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 1767-1814, August.
    3. Ahakwa, Isaac & Xu, Yi & Tackie, Evelyn Agba, 2023. "Greening human capital towards environmental quality in Ghana: Insight from the novel dynamic ARDL simulation approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    4. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2023. "Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-52, December.
    5. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2023. "The Role of Fiscal Decentralization in Limiting CO2 Emissions in South Africa," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 1-30, September.
    6. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2023. "The Role of Financial Development in Climate Change Mitigation: Fresh Policy Insights from South Africa," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-34, March.
    7. Yamlaksira S. Getachew & Roger Fon & Elie Chrysostome, 2023. "On the location choices of African multinational enterprises: Do supranational economic institutions matter?," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(4), pages 453-490, December.
    8. Boniface Ngah Epo & Ronie Bertrand Nguenkwe, 2020. "Information and Communication Technology and Intra-Regional Trade in the Economic Community of West African States: Ambivalent or Complementary?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(2), pages 1397-1412.
    9. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2023. "Revisiting the nexus between fiscal decentralization and CO2 emissions in South Africa: fresh policy insights," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-46, December.
    10. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Nicholas Ngepah, 2022. "Dynamic ARDL Simulations Effects of Fiscal Decentralization, Green Technological Innovation, Trade Openness, and Institutional Quality on Environmental Sustainability: Evidence from South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-35, August.

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