The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same?
This study examines empirical information for major Sub-Saharan African countries and provides an analysis of whether recent trade and economic policy changes by some Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries enhanced their international competitiveness...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/02/12344482/recent-trade-performance-sub-saharan-african-countries-cause-hope-or-more-same http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9824 |
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okr-10986-9824 |
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| recordtype |
oai_dc |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES AGGREGATE TRADE BUSINESS CLIMATE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT COMMERCE COMMODITIES COMMODITY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE MARKET COMPETITIVE POSITION CUSTOMS CUSTOMS UNION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC REFORMS EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORTS FOREIGN MARKETS GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKET IMPORTS INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS MARKET CONDITIONS MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES NATURAL RESOURCE PROPERTY RIGHTS TAXATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PERFORMANCE TRADITIONAL MARKETS WORLD TRADE |
| spellingShingle |
TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES AGGREGATE TRADE BUSINESS CLIMATE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT COMMERCE COMMODITIES COMMODITY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE MARKET COMPETITIVE POSITION CUSTOMS CUSTOMS UNION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC REFORMS EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORTS FOREIGN MARKETS GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKET IMPORTS INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS MARKET CONDITIONS MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES NATURAL RESOURCE PROPERTY RIGHTS TAXATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PERFORMANCE TRADITIONAL MARKETS WORLD TRADE Ng, Francis Yetes, Alexander J. The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| geographic_facet |
Africa |
| relation |
Africa Region Findings & Good Practice Infobriefs; No. 176 |
| description |
This study examines empirical
information for major Sub-Saharan African countries and
provides an analysis of whether recent trade and economic
policy changes by some Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries
enhanced their international competitiveness and improved
their export performance. Specifically, it addresses the
following points: (i) have recent exports from the
Sub-Saharan African countries recently grown at a relatively
faster pace and now come close to matching the average
growth in world trade? (ii) Studies show Sub-Saharan African
countries have been increasingly marginalized in world
trade, as reflected in secular declines in their shares of
this exchange and in shares of their major traditional
exports (Ng and Yeats 1997). Does the available evidence
indicate these trends have been reversed? (iii) Aggregate
analyses of the composition of African countries'
exports typically reveals a structure often held to be
detrimental to industrialization and growth. African exports
are typically concentrated in a relatively few primary
commodities whose unstable prices (and export revenues) are
thought to make development planning difficult. Does the
available evidence indicate that shifts are occurring in the
structure of exports toward products (like labor-intensive
manufactures) that could play a more positive role in
improving the prospects for industrialization and growth?
(iv) Are positive micro-level changes occurring which are
not reflected in aggregate trade statistics? Specifically,
is the "revealed" comparative advantage of the SSA
countries changing, has their competitive position improved
(as reflected in changes in their market shares for
traditional exports), or have they made progress in shifting
the composition of exports up commodity processing chains?
(v) Some studies of factors that influence the success or
failure of efforts to promote industrialization and growth
conclude a high level of intra-industry trade plays an
important positive role. Related studies show that
cross-country production sharing, which often involves a
special type of intra-industry trade, assists participating
countries to integrate into global and regional markets and
may also act as a catalyst to industrialization and growth.
Does the evidence suggest that the level of this trade has
increased in African countries? (vi) Studies suggest there
may be adverse consequences (like paying higher prices for
imports and receiving lower prices for exports-see
Hirschmann (1948), Avramovic (1979) or Yeats (1981) among
others)-for countries whose trade is highly concentrated on
a geographic basis. Does the available evidence suggest that
the African countries have been more successful in
establishing new trade ties and penetrating non-traditional
markets? And (vii) finally, what evidence exists with regard
to the importance of self-imposed government and commercial
restrictions in the SSA countries? Are current trade and
other economic other policies which affect the general
business environment still sufficiently onerous so as to
constitute a major "drag" on African exports and growth? |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Brief |
| author |
Ng, Francis Yetes, Alexander J. |
| author_facet |
Ng, Francis Yetes, Alexander J. |
| author_sort |
Ng, Francis |
| title |
The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| title_short |
The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| title_full |
The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| title_fullStr |
The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? |
| title_sort |
recent trade performance of sub-saharan african countries : cause for hope or more of the same? |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/02/12344482/recent-trade-performance-sub-saharan-african-countries-cause-hope-or-more-same http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9824 |
| _version_ |
1764410799102623744 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-98242021-04-23T14:02:47Z The Recent Trade Performance Of Sub-Saharan African Countries : Cause for Hope or More of the Same? Ng, Francis Yetes, Alexander J. TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES TRADE TRADE BARRIERS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ECONOMIC POLICIES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS EXPORTS EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOREIGN GOODS INDUSTRIALIZATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GROWTH POLICIES ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES AGGREGATE TRADE BUSINESS CLIMATE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT COMMERCE COMMODITIES COMMODITY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE MARKET COMPETITIVE POSITION CUSTOMS CUSTOMS UNION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC REFORMS EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORTS FOREIGN MARKETS GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKET IMPORTS INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS MARKET CONDITIONS MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES NATURAL RESOURCE PROPERTY RIGHTS TAXATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PERFORMANCE TRADITIONAL MARKETS WORLD TRADE This study examines empirical information for major Sub-Saharan African countries and provides an analysis of whether recent trade and economic policy changes by some Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries enhanced their international competitiveness and improved their export performance. Specifically, it addresses the following points: (i) have recent exports from the Sub-Saharan African countries recently grown at a relatively faster pace and now come close to matching the average growth in world trade? (ii) Studies show Sub-Saharan African countries have been increasingly marginalized in world trade, as reflected in secular declines in their shares of this exchange and in shares of their major traditional exports (Ng and Yeats 1997). Does the available evidence indicate these trends have been reversed? (iii) Aggregate analyses of the composition of African countries' exports typically reveals a structure often held to be detrimental to industrialization and growth. African exports are typically concentrated in a relatively few primary commodities whose unstable prices (and export revenues) are thought to make development planning difficult. Does the available evidence indicate that shifts are occurring in the structure of exports toward products (like labor-intensive manufactures) that could play a more positive role in improving the prospects for industrialization and growth? (iv) Are positive micro-level changes occurring which are not reflected in aggregate trade statistics? Specifically, is the "revealed" comparative advantage of the SSA countries changing, has their competitive position improved (as reflected in changes in their market shares for traditional exports), or have they made progress in shifting the composition of exports up commodity processing chains? (v) Some studies of factors that influence the success or failure of efforts to promote industrialization and growth conclude a high level of intra-industry trade plays an important positive role. Related studies show that cross-country production sharing, which often involves a special type of intra-industry trade, assists participating countries to integrate into global and regional markets and may also act as a catalyst to industrialization and growth. Does the evidence suggest that the level of this trade has increased in African countries? (vi) Studies suggest there may be adverse consequences (like paying higher prices for imports and receiving lower prices for exports-see Hirschmann (1948), Avramovic (1979) or Yeats (1981) among others)-for countries whose trade is highly concentrated on a geographic basis. Does the available evidence suggest that the African countries have been more successful in establishing new trade ties and penetrating non-traditional markets? And (vii) finally, what evidence exists with regard to the importance of self-imposed government and commercial restrictions in the SSA countries? Are current trade and other economic other policies which affect the general business environment still sufficiently onerous so as to constitute a major "drag" on African exports and growth? 2012-08-13T09:38:00Z 2012-08-13T09:38:00Z 2001-02 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/02/12344482/recent-trade-performance-sub-saharan-african-countries-cause-hope-or-more-same http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9824 English Africa Region Findings & Good Practice Infobriefs; No. 176 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Brief Publications & Research Africa |