The 2015 edition of the Economic Report on Africa (ERA) is scheduled for release in March 2015 and will build on the key messages of the previous editions on industrialization and structural transformation.

Both ERA 2013 and ERA 2014 emphasized the role of trade in fostering industrialization at the regional and global levels; and underlined the importance of implementing trade policies aimed at overcoming market and institutional failures that hinder export competitiveness.

According to Mr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, the new report will explore the question of how trade can serve as an instrument to accelerate industrialization in Africa.

“We are building a case for the strategic and sequenced use of trade policies for boosting intra-African trade and building up regional value chains to strengthen the capabilities and potential of African industries,” he said.

The Report’s working title is industrialization through trade. It also highlights the importance of complementary social policies for inclusive structural transformation.

The publication is the joint effort of the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union Commission. It is released annually in March 2015, during the Joint ECA-AU Conference of Ministers of Finance, Economy and Development Planning.