Revisiting Free Trade Area Arrangement in “COMESA"

Abstract

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was established with a view to achieves sustainable development through progressive realization of integration, beginning with preferential trade area then becoming a common market and finally transforming into an economic community. For doing so the member states have made specific undertakings to establish a customs union, abolish all non-tariff barriers to trade among themselves, establish a common external tariff and to cooperate in customs procedures and activities. However, less diversity in trade, overlapped memberships, heterogeneity of the economies, loss of import-export tax revenue, lack of political commitment, loss of national sovereignty, poor private sector participation, and poor infrastructure were challenging the arrangement from achieving its object. Therefore by utilizing doctrinal legal research methodology, the study has found that states needs to take affirmative action’s including harmonizing their national trade policies in the manner of pre portrayed goal of COMESA-FTA arrangement. In doing so, it needs to venture the expected challenges of membership to COMESA-FTA and potential gains from trade liberalization.

Key terms: COMESA, Regional Integration, Free Trade Area

List of Acronyms

COMESA: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

EAC: East African Community

ECCAS: Economic Community of Central African States

FTA: Free Trade Area

IGAD: Intergovernmental Authority on Development

PTA: Preferential Trade Area

REI: Regional Economic Integration

SACU: South African Customs Union

SADC: Southern African Development Communi

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/121-02

Publication date:May 31^st 2022