Regulation of African Trade: the Impact Continental Free Trade Area

This book discusses regulatory developments across the African continent meant to accommodate and/or further drive economic realities on the ground. It will be a valuable resource for those working in the areas of International Economic Law, International Trade Law, African Law and Development. In 2018, member states of the African Union signed the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to implement a single continental market for goods and services and establish a continental customs union. This book discusses regulatory developments across the African continent meant to accommodate and/or further drive economic realities on the ground. The focus here is on the trade in goods. Divided into three parts, the first presents the big picture of Africa's economic integration and AfCFTA's role in this process, addressing cross-border trade facilitation, the shift from Eurocentric to Afrocentric investment policy, and the Agreement's economic and welfare effects. Part II turns to the AfCFTA's dispute settlement mechanism, weighing its debt to WTO procedures against the balance it strikes between state sovereignty and effective adjudication. Part III examines regionalism as a foundation of African economic governance, from Regional Economic Communities and rules of origin to non-tariff barriers, Chinese lending, and prospective investment ties with the Eurasian Economic Union. Written by a combination of academics and practitioners, the work will be a valuable resource for those working in the areas of International Economic Law, International Trade Law, African Law and Development.