European Communities' Single Market: The Challenge of 1992 for Sub-Saharan Africa

摘要

The report analyzes the impact of the completion of the European Community's (EC) Internal Market on Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. More than half of SSA's trade is with the EC12. The short-term effects of EC-92 will depend on the specific goods and services each SSA country exports to the EC, and the speed with which its government and exporters adjust to the new changes. In longer-term effects, there is little doubt that the process of integrating the EC-12 has led to higher economic growth expectations in Europe. This more rapid growth will lead to a greater demand for imports. The past delinking of most SSA countries from the global economy means it would be difficult to expect such a growth dividend to play any part in SSA exports unless the African countries themselves make a determined effort to make their economies more outward-oriented. This is one case where the actions of SSA nations are far more important than those of the European Community. Even then, the greater dependence of SSA countries on primary commodities, with their relatively lower income elasticities, means their share of the trade to this more buoyant market may not rise rapidly.