Services trade policy and industry performance in African economies. (5th December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fiorini, Matteo; Hoekman, Bernard; Quinn, Dennis
• Other Names: McKay Andy guestEditor.; Ogunkola Olawale guestEditor.; Semboja Haji Hatibu guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: World economy. Volume 46:Number 2(2023)
• Page Start: 382
• Page End: 395
• Publication Date: 2022-12-05
• Subjects: AfCFTA -- Africa -- manufacturing sector productivity -- mode 1 -- mode 3 -- regional integration -- services input intensity -- services trade policy; International economic relations -- Periodicals; 330
• DOI: 10.1111/twec.13361
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-5920

Abstract

Abstract: This paper assesses the potential impacts of services trade liberalisation for a sample of African countries. The focus is on the relationship between labour productivity of manufacturing sectors and two types of services trade‐related policies – restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) in services and restrictions on international payments for invisibles. The analysis takes into account differences across manufacturing sectors in the intensity of use of different services as inputs into production as well as difference in the quality of economic governance across countries. We find that services trade liberalisation may have substantial positive impacts on the performance of manufacturing sectors, and increase with services input intensity and the quality of governance.