What is in the Process? Caribbean and African Trade Policy: Vestiges of the Past, Prospects for the Post-Colonial Development Agenda

Africa and the Caribbean share a common history of European colonization and imperialism which spanned at least 300 years. Colonialism is the single most significant event in the history of the two regions. The very fabric of Caribbean and African trade policy as we know it was built around the legacies of their colonial past. It drove their integration into global trade and the nature of their export patterns and trading relationships. Its impact was wide reaching and its legacy persistent. While there are many angles from which to examine the legacies of colonialism, this paper concentrates on exploring how colonial influence persists in trade policy within and across the Caribbean and African sub-regions through a case study of the integration arrangements of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The paper explores the existing very extensive literature, through a systematic review with a twofold objective. First, to identify to what extent vestiges of colonialism still exists in the trade policies of African and Caribbean territories that were once colonies. Second, discuss what gaps may need to be addressed for the contemporary trade policy agenda to play a more active role in driving the post-independence development agenda of the two regions.