Intraregional Trade as an Indicator of the Effect of Integration Processes – the Case of African Regional Economic Communities

Abstract

The paper analyses the dynamics of trade flows and the trends in trade patterns of intraregional trade of African countries and regional economic communities. The study presents the main import and export destinations both in inter- and intraregional terms thus outlining the trends in African countries’ and Regional economic communities’ export and import for the period 2003-2012 and trying to draw some conclusions on the realization of potential benefits of integration.