EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL IN THE ECONOMIC AND MONETARY COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICA (CEMAC)

This paper aims to evaluate and analyze trade potential of Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa's countries (MECCA) in the light of market integration theory. Gradually, we analyze stylized facts of member's countries trade and estimate an augmented gravity model to evaluate the bilateral trade patterns in the subregion. The results obtained are used to compute the trade potential index in the community. The study found Pour major results: (i) the stylized.facts show heterogeneity and a low level of integration in the subregion; (ii) the coefficients of the traditional variables of the gravity model globally keep their theoretical signs; (iii) the poor level of GDP per capita and the lack of diversification of productive structures are the main factors reducing trade potential in the sub-region; (iv) even though weak, there is some trade creation episodes, notably in the bilateral flows of Cameroon and others member's countries.