ABSTRACT
Globalisation and regionalism are simultaneous phenomena of the late 1900s. To some extent regional integration can be seen as complementary to the process of globalisation. For many African countries, however, there are serious concerns about small markets, the fear of marginalisation in a world increasingly dominated by powerful trading blocs, and the fear of the costs of unilateral liberalisation – especially when the large world players are most protective of sectors in which African countries might feasibly compete. Many African countries have therefore seen regional integration as an alternative to unilateral trade liberalisation, providing some of the benefits of larger markets while limiting the extent of exposure to external competition.
