Journal of African Trade

Volume 7, Issue 1-2, December 2020, Pages 60 - 68

The Impact of Imports from China on African Textile Exports

Authors
Yong He*
CERDI, University of Clermont-Auvergne, 26 Avenue Léon Blum, Clermont-Ferrand 63000, France
Corresponding Author
Yong He
Received 7 February 2020, Accepted 18 November 2020, Available Online 3 December 2020.
DOI
10.2991/jat.k.201126.001How to use a DOI?
Keywords
African textile exports; textile imports from China; comparative advantage; crowding-out effect; intermediate goods effect
Abstract

This study uses Comtrade trade data covering 1990–2017, 14 textile subsectors, and 53 African countries with their main trade partners to evaluate Chinese trade impacts on African textile exports over three subperiods at the sector level. It finds that, although textile imports from China had a significant positive impact during the first period, this effect disappeared in the second period. From 2009 to 2017, the impact became significantly negative. I explain these results by arguing that Chinese products exert both intermediate goods and crowding-out effects on African local producers. During the first period, the intermediate goods effect exceeded the crowding-out effect, and helped to strengthen African textile production and exportation. Over time, however, the net crowding-out effect was increasing. In the last period, imports from China reduced Africa’s exports. This study, thus, raises a concern about African “premature deindustrialization”, presumably as a consequence of the continent’s trade with China.

Copyright
© 2020 African Export-Import Bank. Publishing services by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Journal
Journal of African Trade
Volume-Issue
7 - 1-2
Pages
60 - 68
Publication Date
2020/12/03
ISSN (Online)
2214-8523
ISSN (Print)
2214-8515
DOI
10.2991/jat.k.201126.001How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2020 African Export-Import Bank. Publishing services by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Yong He
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/12/03
TI  - The Impact of Imports from China on African Textile Exports
JO  - Journal of African Trade
SP  - 60
EP  - 68
VL  - 7
IS  - 1-2
SN  - 2214-8523
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/jat.k.201126.001
DO  - 10.2991/jat.k.201126.001
ID  - He2020
ER  -