African trade with the centrally planned economies

Abstract

In recent years trade between African countries and the centrally planned economies has grown fast: it doubled in value between 1955 and 1960. However, even in the latter year the most recent for which statistics are available total trade turnover between the two areas amounted to only $550 million. The small scale of this trade is thrown into bolder relief when its value is expressed as a share of the total trade of each area, represents about 2 per cent of the foreign turnover of the centrally planned economies and some 4 per cent of that of Africa.