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JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT POLICY AND PRACTICE
AGOA and FOCAC: Competing for African Markets through Multilateral
Trade Agreements
Author(s): Emmanuel E. Obuah
Citation: Emmanuel E. Obua, (2010) "AGOA and FOCAC: Competing for African Markets through Multilateral Trade Agreements," Journal of Management Policy and Practice, Vol. 11, Iss. 5, pp.69 - 78
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
The post-Cold War global economy has been characterized by an exponential increase in the number of
MTAs/RTAs to reduce and eliminate barriers to multilateral trade and economic exchanges. The US post-
Cold War foreign policy was anchored on ‘engagement and enlargement’ to build a community of free
market nations. China confronted by domestic economic metamorphosis, embarked on the policy of
zhuada fangxiao and zouchuqu to expand its economic and commercial networks. In 2000 both the US
and China formed AGOA and FOCAC respectively, to open up their economies and accelerate economic
exchanges with Africa. AGOA and FOCAC while not by their nature intentionally exacerbating trade
inequalities, reinforce significant disparity between the ‘net-winner’ countries and ‘net-loser’ countries
in Africa. This paper attempts to explore the origins and objectives of the schemes, the trade trends and
the implications of the evolving trade relationships between African countries, the United States and
China.
