**Table 1. Direction of trade for SADC and COMESA**

|**_SADCTRADE_**<br>**Exports**|**Imp**|**orts**|
|---|---|---|
|1991<br>2001|1991|2001|
|intn.-SAIX-<br>~<br>r<br>6*<br>**-3%**<br>**9.**<br>-%<br> <br>|7;9%<br>||
|EXtraragIonal'<br>"<br>.<br>**_9.7%_**<br>90.1%|7<br>92;1|%..'.8T06|
|**_RestofAfrica"**_**<br>**_1.1%_**<br>**_2.7%_**|_1.1%_|**_2.1%_**|
|**_EastAsia& Pacfic_**<br>_16.3%_<br>_16.8%_|_17.0%_|_20,3%_|
|**_USA_**<br>_16.1%_<br>_17.6%_|_11.9%_|**_10.4%_**|
|**_EU_**<br>_49.1%_<br>_43.0%_|_51.1%_|_39.4%_|
|**_Restofworld_**<br>**_11.1%_**<br>**_10.1%_**|**_11.0%_**|**_14.8%_**|
|**IToai**<br>**Word'**<br>- ,<br>**100%.**<br>tOO%I.|:<br>**_._**|**_P__**<br>**_A%_**|
|**_COMESATRADE_**<br>**Exports**|**Imp**|**ort**|
|**1991**<br>20011|<br>1991|2001|
|IntroCC()1ESA**(2uoduPrtitsa**<br>_**5%**<br>**54 **|'<br>_2I9%_<br>m3'|<br>.p|
|**ErT_aregl2nal**<br>94.6°**%**|<br>97.60%|<br>9W20%|
|**_RestofAfrica_**<br>_3.3%_<br>**_5.1%_**|**_6.0%_**|_9.4%_|
|**_SouthAsia_**<br>**_1.9%_**<br>_2.2%_|**_1.5%_**|_3.3%_|
|**_EastAsia& Pacfik_**<br>**_9.8%_**<br>_14.5%_|**_14.0%_**|**_17.8%_**|
|**_EU_**<br>**_50.8%_**<br>_39.5%_|**_44.0%_**|_31.7%_|
|**_USA_**<br>**_16.9%_**<br>**_19.6%_**|_13.6%_|_14.3%_|
|**_Restofworld_**<br>**_13.8%_**<br>**_13.7%_**|**_18.6%_**|**_19.6%_**|
|Wnrld<br>.1%<br>.100%1|<br>%|_-r_<br>.C(9%|
|<br>_Source:YagciandAldaz-Carroll(2003)_<br>Despitethefactthatintra-regionaltradeasapercentof<sup>to</sup><br>duringthe1990sforSADC countries,participation <br>completelyunbalanced.South Africaaccounts formor<br>SADCimports, enjoyingalarge tradesurpluswiththeot<br>than $US4billionperyear.TheBLNScountries (Bo<br>Swaziland), Malawi,Mozambique,Zambia,andZimbab<br>imports fromSouthAfrica.Simultaneously, while<sup>Sout</sup><br>soaredduring the90s, theshareoftheEUasthemainori<br>from44to31.7percentforSADC andfrom51.1to39p<br>space.Theremaybeacasetosuggestthattherenewed <br>sincethefallofthe apartheidregimein1994has<sup>ledt </sup><br>diversionfromEuropeangoodsinfavorsofSouthAfrican|<sup>taltradeha</sup><br>intheregio<br>e<sup>than70p </sup><br>hermember<br>tswana,<sup>Le</sup><br>we<sup>arethe</sup><br><sup>hAfrican e</sup><br>ginofSAD<br>ercent<sup>inth</sup><br>engagement<br><sup>oanimport</sup><br> <sup>ones.</sup>|<sup>s morethandoubled</sup><br>nal<sup>tradeflowsis</sup><br><sup>ercentoftheintra-</sup><br>s,<sup>estimatedatmore</sup><br><sup>sotho,Namibiaand</sup><br> <sup>mostdependenton</sup><br><sup>xportstotheregion</sup><br>C<sup>importsdecreased</sup><br><sup>ebroaderCOMESA</sup><br> <sup>ofSAintheregion</sup><br><sup>antdegreeoftrade</sup>|

Overall, even for SADC, if South African is not taken<sup>intoaccount,tradeflows between</sup> ESA countries are still substantially low. Trade flows between<sup>ESAcountriesreflectthe</sup> structure of production of the countries that make up<sup>thetworegionalgroups,whichis</sup> characterized by concentration of exports in a few comunodities<sup>exportedtointernational</sup> markets. Low levels of intra-regional trade are also due<sup>to thepoorqualityof</sup> infrastructure and financial linkages, as well as the restrictions<sup>ontradeand exchange</sup> regimes adopted by most of the countries in previous<sup>decades.Indeed,inmanyESA</sup> countries, the practice of multiple exchange rate<sup>systems,surrenderrequirementsfor</sup> 6