12:21 AM MYT
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement can potentially position African economies stronger in the face of future global shocks such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a senior United Nations trade policy expert said on Wednesday.
Speaking exclusively to Xinhua, David Luke, Coordinator of the Africa Trade Policy Center at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said intra-Africa trading could help cushion future global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic that has exposed the vulnerability of African countries' dependence on their trade partners in the rest of the world.
"Successful implementation of the AfCFTA could support the development of competitive and resilient regional value chains and increase domestic and regional industrialization, including in the health sector. Therefore, the AfCFTA can potentially position African economies more strongly in the face of future global shocks," Luke told Xinhua.