Why Don't African Manufacturing Enterprises Export More? The Role of Trade Policy, Infrastructure Quality and Enterprise Characteristics

There has been much concern about Africa's recent export performance. Africa's share of world exports has declined and most countries are highly dependent upon a narrow range of primary commodities for export earnings. This article looks at factors that affect the export performance of manufacturing enterprises in eight African countries. In addition to enterprise characteristics (e.g., size, ownership and education of the manager), policy-related variables also affect export performance. Manufacturing enterprises are less likely to export in countries with restrictive trade and customs regulation and poor customs administration. The quality of domestic transportation infrastructure also appears to affect export performance, although the coefficient on this variable is statistically insignificant