Trade Between the European Union and African-Caribbean-Pacific Countries

Abstract

The paper discusses trade relations between the European Union and African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries over the period from 2000 to 2014. The analysis is based on the data retrieved from the UN Comtrade Database. The EU-ACP trade is analyzed in seven regional groups (Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, East African Community, Southern African Development Community, West Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific) separately. The EU has been negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with those groups of countries since 2008. The European Union is a major trading partner for ACP countries. However, it has been gradually losing its role as their most important trading partner for Asian giants. The EU dominates in trade with West Africa and the Caribbean countries. China and India have been more important trading partners for Eastern and Southern Africa since 2007, Pacific (2009), East African Community and Southern African Development Community (2010), and Central Africa (2014). Moreover, the Asian giants’ trade with 80 ACP countries has been surpassing the EU-ACP trade since 2012. It seems that South-South cooperation which has been intensively developed by China and India with ACP countries wins with the EU-led trade liberalization and its EPAs.