African Regional Trade Agreements as Legal Regimes Cambridge International Trade and Economic Law Series

African regional trade integration has grown exponentially in the last decade. This book is the first comprehensive analysis of the legal framework within which it is being pursued. It will fill a huge knowledge gap and serve as an invaluable teaching and research tool for policy makers in the public and private sectors, teachers, researchers and students of African trade and beyond. The author argues that African Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are best understood as flexible legal regimes particularly given their commitment to variable geometry and multiple memberships. He analyzes the progress made toward trade liberalization in each region, how the RTAs are financed, their trade remedy and judicial regimes, and how well they measure up to Article XXIV of GATT. The book also covers monetary unions as well as intra-African regional integration, and examines free trade agreements with non-African regions including the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union.

Introduction; 1. African RTAs as flexible legal regimes; 2. Variable geometry: a defining aspect of African RTAs; 3. Multiple memberships in African RTAs; 4. African RTAs in the context of Article XXIV of GATT; 5. Trade liberalization commitments and realization timeframes; 6. Financing African RTAs; 7. African RTA judiciaries; 8. Trade remedy regimes; 9. Monetary unions in Africa; 10. Intra-African regional trade integration; 11. African RTA relations with non-African RTAs.

James Thuo Gathii is Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship and Governor George E. Pataki Professor of International Commercial Law, Albany Law School. He is author of War, Commerce and International Law (2010) and over 50 articles and book chapters.