Industrial Policy, Trade Rules, and Security Sovereignty: Navigating WTO and Preferential Trade Agreements in Africa

Onogwu, Daniel and Omolokun, Taiwo (2025): Industrial Policy, Trade Rules, and Security Sovereignty: Navigating WTO and Preferential Trade Agreements in Africa.

Abstract

This paper explores the growing tension between Africa’s industrial policy aspirations and the constraints imposed by global trade rules and preferential trade agreements. It investigates how the World Trade Organization (WTO) and regional or bilateral trade agreements restrict the tools African states can use to support local industry. The paper also reconsiders national and economic security definitions in the African context and examines how these evolving concepts can justify a broader policy space. The study argues that Africa’s development objectives require a rebalancing of trade commitments with industrial and security imperatives, proposing practical approaches for greater autonomy in policymaking.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Development Strategy; Economic Security; Industrial Policy; National Sovereignty; Preferential Trade Agreements; Trade Discipline.
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F5 - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy

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