Trade between African countries has the greatest potential for building sustainable economic development and integration, says African Economic Outlook 2017, a flagship report of the African Development Bank released in Ahmedabad on Day 1 of its 52nd Annual Meetings, which commenced on Monday in the Indian city.
Citing data produced by its economists and peer institutions, the report said trade among African countries expanded from 10% in 2000 to about 16% in 2014, reflecting the continent's recent economic upturns.
Africa's GDP and its internal trade expanded fourfold over the past two decades, according to the report, which suggests that that intra-African trade is more resilient than exchanges with other regions of the world, largely because manufactured goods are less susceptible to price shocks which affect primary products that constitute over 50% of trade between the continent and other countries.