The African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA), launched in 2018 and operational since 2021, aims to create a
unified marketplace for goods and services across Africa to boost economic
integration. However, it faces significant
challenges due to diverse cultural differences among participating nations,
impacting trade negotiations, regulations, consumer preferences, and trust. Addressing these cultural differences
are crucial for ensuring the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA and
maximizing its potential benefits. Cultural diversity can pose challenges in
terms of communication and language barriers, leading to misunderstandings and
inefficiencies in trade negotiations and transactions. Cultural factors may
influence consumer preferences and demand patterns, requiring tailored
marketing strategies and product adaptations. Addressing these issues requires
fostering cultural understanding, encouraging cooperation, and developing
mechanisms such as exchange programs and governance frameworks to bridge these
cultural gaps. Effectively managing cultural differences is crucial for AfCFTA
to realize its potential for economic growth and development in Africa.
References
[1]
Ajibo, C. C. (2019). African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement: The Euphoria, Pitfalls and Prospects. Journal of World Trade, 53, 871-894. http://www.kluwerlawonline.com/api/Product/CitationPDFURL?file=Journals\TRAD\TRAD2019035.pdf https://doi.org/10.54648/TRAD2019035
[2]
Anderson, J. E., & Van Wincoop, E. (2003). Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle. American Economic Review, 93, 170-192. https://doi.org/10.1257/000282803321455214
[3]
Béné, C., Lawton, R., & Allison, E. H. (2010). Trade Matters in the Fight against Poverty: Narratives, Perceptions, and (Lack of) Evidence in the Case of Fish Trade in Africa. World Development, 38, 933-954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.12.010
[4]
Eichengreen, B., & Irwin, D. A. (1998). The Role of History in Bilateral Trade Flows. http://www.nber.org/chapters/c7819 https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226260228.003.0003
[5]
Ferdousy, L., & Binti, S. (2020). The Impact of Religion on International Trade: A Case Study Approach. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 8, 1-7.
[6]
Hacker, S., & Johansson, B. (2001). Sweden and the Baltic Sea Region: Transaction Costs and Trade Intensities. In J. Br?cker, & H. Herrmann (Eds.), Spatial Change and Interregional Flows in the Integrating Europe. Contributions to Economics. Physica-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57552-5_7
[7]
Heine, B., & Nurse, D. (2003). African Languages. An Introduction: Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. pp. 1255-1265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3841(03)00018-4
[8]
Hussein, B. A. S. (2012). The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Today. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2, 642-646. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.2.3.642-646
[9]
Kupriyenko, I. V., Tarahonich, A. M., & Popovych, O. P. (2019). Foreign Language as the Mean of International Trade. http://dspace.msu.edu.ua:8080/bitstream/123456789/3889/1/Foreign_language_as_the_mean_of_international_trade.pdf
[10]
Mayer, T., Disdier, A.-C., Tai, S., & Fontagne, L. (2007). International Trade Flows in Cultural Goods and Services: Issues and Determining Factors. https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Media/Thematiques/Etudes-et-statistiques/Files/Publications/CC-CE- CP-CM_EN/International-trade-flows-in-cultural-goods-and-services-Issues-and-determining-factors-CE-2007-2
[11]
Melitz, J. (2002). DP3590 Language and Foreign Trade. https://cepr.org/publications/dp3590
[12]
Mold, A. (2018). The Consequences of Brexit for Africa: The Case of the East African Community. Journal of African Trade, 5, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joat.2018.10.001
[13]
Palit, A. (2017). Mega-Regional Trade Agreements and Non-Participating Developing Countries: Differential Impacts, Challenges and Policy Options. Competition & Change, 21, 417-434. https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529417729324
[14]
World Bank (2020). The African Continental Free Trade Area—Economic and Distributional Effects (World Bank). World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34139
