IMF-为西非经货联释放非洲内部贸易一体化的好处：西非经货联盟（英）

Unleashing the Benefits of Intra-African Trade Integration for the WAEMU Shushanik Hakobyan, Fiona Hesse-Triballi, Sergii Meleshchuk, and Hans Weisfeld SIP/2025/071IMF Selected Issues Papers are prepared by IMF staff as background documentation for periodic consultations with member countries. It is based on the information available at the time it was completed on April 17, 2025. This paper is also published separately as IMF Country Report No 25/111 2025 JUN © 2025 International Monetary Fund SIP/2025/071 IMF Selected Issues Paper African Department Unleashing the Benefits of Intra-African Trade Integration for the WAEMU Prepared by Shushanik Hakobyan, Fiona Hesse-Triballi, Sergii Meleshchuk, and Hans Weisfeld Authorized for distribution by Luca A Ricci June 2025 IMF Selected Issues Papers are prepared by IMF staff as background documentation for periodic consultations with member countries. It is based on the information available at the time it was completed on April 17, 2025. This paper is also published separately as IMF Country Report No 25/111. ABSTRACT: WAEMU members’ trade openness, integration into global value chains (GVCs), and export diversification remain limited. Tariffs, non-tariff measures (NTMs, obstacles to trade that arise mainly from differences in national regulations), and a challenging trade environment (e.g., cumbersome Customs and border processes) hamper WAEMU members’ trade with countries outside of ECOWAS; while NTMs and the challenging trade environment weigh on trade even among WAEMU members and on trade between WAEMU members and other ECOWAS countries. WAEMU members should pursue greater trade integration by helping move AfCFTA discussions forward and implementing agreed steps. They should also advocate with AfCFTA partners for a more ambitious process for removing NTMs. In parallel, they should drive forward trade integration among themselves, including by addressing NTMs and seeking to strengthen the trade environment in a cost-effective manner, e.g., by streamlining Customs and border processes. RECOMMENDED CITATION: Shushanik Hakobyan, Fiona Hesse-Triballi, Sergii Meleshchuk, Hans Weisfeld, Unleashing the Benefits of Intra-African Trade Integration for the WAEMU (SIP/2025/071). Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund. JEL Classification Numbers: F13, F14, F15, O55, O19. Keywords: WAEMU, AfCFTA, Intra-African Trade, Trade Policy, Trade Integration, Trade Environment, Tariffs and Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs). Author’s E-Mail Address: shakobyan@imf.org, fhesse-triballi@imf.org, smeleshchuk@imf.org, hweisfeld@imf.org SELECTED ISSUES PAPERS Unleashing the Benefits of Intra-African Trade Integration for the WAEMU West African Economic and Monetary Union Prepared by Shushanik Hakobyan, Fiona Hesse-Triballi, Sergii Meleshchuk, and Hans Weisfeld1 1 The authors would like to thank Luca Antonio Ricci, Oliver Exton and Jean-Christophe Maur for their valuable comments. WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIC AND MONETARY UNION SELECTED IS