Impact assessment of the multilateral agricultural trade negotiations on CEMAC countries

Using the Agricultural Trade Policy Simulations Model (ATPSM), this paper shows that the modalities of improving market access being negotiated within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) would deteriorate the welfare of the population of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) countries. To mitigate these negative effects, they should plead for the suppression/reduction of subsidies and domestic supports and insist that revenue saved be oriented towards technical assistance in diversifying their exports and restructuring their economies in order to promote their competitiveness. Despite the differentiated impacts of the modalities on the countries, the ongoing regionalism process should be consolidated and used as a framework for increasing the negotiation power and look-in of national reforms.