This book is the result of an extensiveagenda of analytical work on regional trade integration inAfrica involving staff from various units of the Africaregion of the World Bank. The aim of this volume is toprovide the main messages from this work to a wide audiencethe private sector, civil society, key ministries, relevantagencies that is necessary to provide the consensus andbroad base for successful implementation of reforms. Africais not achieving its potential in regional trade. Thecontributions to this volume highlight the enormous scopefor increased cross-border trade in Africa and the reasonswhy such opportunities are not being exploited. The mainobjective of this introductory chapter is to draw attentionto the key reason why Africa's potential for regionaltrade remains unexploited: the high transaction costs thatface those who trade across borders in Africa. Thecontributions to the volume discuss a wide range of policyrelated barriers that drive up costs and limit trade. Thechapter starts with a review of recent export performance inAfrica, noting the strong growth rates in many countries.However, the impact of such growth on employment and povertyhas been much muted and important challenges remain,especially with regard to greater diversification ofexports, and it is here that effective regional integrationthat reduces transaction costs can play a key role. Thepaper then discusses the key barriers that raise costs fortraders and continue to fragment the African market.Finally, the paper ends with some specific recommendationsfor action that policy makers can take at the regional levelto support integrated markets in Africa and discusses howthe World Bank and other donors can support those wishing toimplement the necessary reforms.
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