Are African Trade Arrangements rediscovering Trade Remedies?
Gerhard Erasmus - 16 Aug 2017Gerhard Erasmus, tralac Associate, comments on the growing interest in trade remedies as a tool to promote rules-based trade and integration in Africa
There seems to be a renewed interest in Trade Remedies (TRs) in African trade and integration arrangements. They are debated and modified in Regional Economic Communities (RECs) pursuing deeper integration, are discussed as part of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) negotiations, and have just been adopted in the form of a special TR Annex for the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).[1] African trade specialists are also writing about them. What explains the interest in TRs and what is being discussed?
Trade remedies are trade policy tools that allow governments to take remedial action against imports which are causing injury to domestic industries. They are divided into anti-dumping (AD) action; countervailing duty measures; and safeguard action.