Trade Patterns and Trends in the African-European Trading Area: Lessons for Sub-Saharan Africa from the Era of the Lome Accords, 1975-1988

Sommers, Lawrence M.; Mehretu, Assefa

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Title:	Trade Patterns and Trends in the African-European Trading Area: Lessons for Sub-Saharan Africa from the Era of the Lome Accords, 1975-1988
Authors:	Sommers, Lawrence M. Mehretu, Assefa
Year:	1992
Periodical:	Africa Development: A Quarterly Journal of CODESRIA (ISSN 0850-3907)
Volume:	17
Issue:	2
Pages:	5-26
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Subsaharan Africa Europe
Subjects:	international economic relations international trade Economics and Trade international relations
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/43658248
Abstract:	The possibility of EC and EFTA (European Free Trade Area) countries joining to create the European Economic Space (EES) would further enhance the dominant role of western Europe in the African-European Trading Area (AETA). This paper deals with three issues related to the patterns of trade in AETA. The first is to characterize the evolutionary history of subregional economic, political and territorial organizations in AETA and how this background continues to reflect on the structural attributes of unequal trade relations. The second is to study changes and trends in AETA's interregional trade beginning in 1975 when the first Lome Convention was signed, and to evaluate the progress made on the objectives of the various interregional trade arrangements geared to benefit the African subregions (North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa). The third is to outline the future developmental and interregional trade implications for the African subregions, especially as the EC and EFTA continue their dominance within a federated EC in 1992. The author concludes that the increasing economic and spatial integration of the EC will further marginalize the African subregions, while Europe will use Africa (and part of Asia) as its raw material and cheap labour periphery. The Lome accords have achieved very little with respect to the improvement of the relative standing of Africa in the North-South trading system. Note, ref., sum. in French.