African Free Trade Area Poised to Boost Regional Integration and Prosperity
The paper looked at how trade agreements and other factors affect trade between countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. They found that regional trade agreements in SSA have increased trade flows, especially among certain groups of countries. Countries that are financially integrated also trade more. Factors like distance, being landlocked, sharing a currency, and historical ties also affect trade between countries in SSA. The results suggest that removing barriers to trade and improving trade facilitation can help boost trade in Africa.