Can Intra-Regional Trade Act as a Global Shock Absorber in Africa?

Abstract

The authors thank Zorobabel Bicaba for contributions and Celine Allard, Daniel Gurara, Basil Jones, Albert Mafusire, and Andreas Worgotter for comments that improved the paper. This paper is substantively modified from an earlier version, issued as AfDB Working Paper No. 198 and presented at the 2014 Congress of the International Economic Association and at the 2014 North American Meetings of the Econometric Society. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the African Development Bank. This was paper was also published as IZA Discussion Paper No. 9205