Can International Trade Help Africa’s Least Developed Countries Achieve SDG-1?
Metadatos
Afficher la notice complèteEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Least Developed Countries (LDCs) African countries International trade
Date
2020-06Referencia bibliográfica
Navarro-Pabsdorf, R. M., Martínez-Alcalá, C., & Moral-Pajares, E. (2020). Can International Trade Help Africa’s Least Developed Countries Achieve SDG-1?. Sustainability, 12(11), 4470. [DOI: 10.3390/su12114470]
Patrocinador
Chair of Internationalization UGR-EXTENDA, University of Granada BOJA 222 13-21Résumé
In order to reduce poverty and achieve Goal 1 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, countries’ foreign trade flows must be a driving force for productive activity, as proposed
by the WTO-led (World Trade Organization) Aid for Trade initiative. This work analyzes the evolution
of international trade in goods and services between Africa’s Least Developed Countries and
customers and suppliers from other countries between 2005 and 2015, based on the information
provided by UNCTAD and the World Bank. The results confirm a greater degree of trade openness
and especially an increase in service imports. Overall, the data show that the purchases made in the
international market have a greater marginal effect on GDP than sales, leading to the conclusion that
changes in trade policy are needed, at both international and national level. Actions should be aimed
at ensuring that the growing integration of these economies in the world trade system does not result
in continued deficits in the trade balance but, on the contrary, does contribute to GDP growth and
poverty reduction.