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The potential effects of the ECCAS Free Trade Area on Trade Flows

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  • DJEMMO FOTSO, Arnaud

Abstract

Analyzing some trade indicators and estimating a gravity model, this paper assesses the potential effects of an effective implementation of the ECCAS FTA. Launched since January 2004, the ECCAS FTA is not yet established: the main reforms that should be undertaken by the various members are still awaited. The results show that the potential for increasing intra-ECCAS trade, following the FTA, is limited by the narrow range of goods produced and exported by members; the fact that members have comparative advantages for similar products in which they are not important consumers; and the low complementarity in their trade profiles. To accelerate industrial development through a pooling of productive resources and capacities could improve the complementarity of the production structures in the sub-region and thus, increase the possibilities of intra-industry trade, key of intra-trade growth in model FTA.

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  • DJEMMO FOTSO, Arnaud, 2014. "The potential effects of the ECCAS Free Trade Area on Trade Flows," MPRA Paper 59863, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:59863
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    Cited by:

    1. Olaifa Felix Gbenga & Olubiyi Ebenezer Adesoji & Benjamin Oluwasegun Olawale, 2024. "Determinants of Trade Flow in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS): Does Governance Matter?," Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 78-97, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ECCAS; Gravity model; Free Trade Area; Intra-regional trade; trade indicators.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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