Trade Integration, Export Patterns, and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Calderon, Cesar ; Cantu, Catalina ; Zeufack, Albert G.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: TRADE INTEGRATION;    EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION;    EXPORT PATTERNS;    ECONOMIC GROWTH;    REGIONAL TRADE;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-9132
RP-ID  :  WPS9132

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper examines systematically thegrowth effects of trade integration in Sub-Saharan Africa.It complements and improves upon the empirical literature intwo aspects: first, it jointly estimates the impact ofdifferent dimensions of trade integration, namely, tradevolumes, export/trade patterns by product (primary andmanufacturing goods), and by destination (inter- andintra-regional). Second, it estimates the impact of tradeintegration on economic growth and its sources, that is,capital accumulation and total factor productivity growth.The analysis finds causal evidence that trade integrationfosters growth. Additionally, manufacturing trade boostsgrowth and trade in primary goods hampers growth. Doublingthe manufacturing trade share in Sub-Saharan Africa'sgross domestic product would increase growth by 1.9percentage points per year, while increases in primary tradereduce growth by 1 percentage point. This impact is mainlytransmitted through lower capital accumulation. Finally,inter- and intra-regional trade have a positive impact ongrowth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Doubling inter-regional tradewill increase growth by 1.9 percentage points, and the sameincrease for intra-regional trade enhances growth by 0.6percentage points. The effects of inter-regional trade aretransmitted primarily through capital accumulation, whilethose of intra-regional trade are channeled through enhancedtotal factor productivity growth.