Regional Integration in North Africa 2013 Intraregional Trade and Trade Facilitation

Abstract

Regional integration plays an important part in expanding the potential for development and improved well-being of countries. The benefits include increased trade, greater international presence, improved balance of power in international negotiations, political and security stability and job creation. North Africa is not isolated from the continental efforts to achieve integration. The countries of the subregion are grouped into three regional economic communities: the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Community of the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The 2013 report deals with trade facilitation and its role in regional integration. The report examines the status of intraregional trade, in an attempt to identify the major trends. It also offers a roadmap to be implemented by North Africa to facilitate trade and take advantage of its under-tapped trade potential. The roadmap includes the different participants in the supply chain and proposes measures based on the challenges identified by the different indicators designed by the international organizations.