In recent years countries have increasingly focused on enhancing market access through regional integration in light of the stalled decade-long WTO Doha Round of trade of negotiations. Africa is no exception and in 2008, Heads of State and Government from the member states of the regional economic communities (RECs) of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), agreed to establish a Free Trade Area (FTA).

The aim of the FTA among others is to enhance market access, harmonise policies in areas of common interest and address the issue of multiple membership. This new configuration would see an expanded market covering 26 countries with an estimated population of 500 million people and a GDP of US$624 billion.

The objective for this book is to examine the trade and specifically agricultural production, agri-business and the agricultural policy regimes in East and Southern Africa. A computer analysis of the benefits of the proposed is also presented, along with a review of sensitive products and non-tariff barriers in the region. Member states of SADC, EAC and COMESA are due to begin negotiations to establish the Tripartite FTA in 2011.

© 2011 Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa and the National Agricultural Marketing Council

Publication of this book was made possible by the support of the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (tralac) and the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC). The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily the view of any of these institutions.

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