Evaluating the Effectiveness of ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) in Promoting and Protecting Local Industries in West Africa (2015 – 2024)

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Common External Tariff (CET) in promoting and protecting local industries in West Africa between 2015 and 2024. Introduced under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), the CET aimed to harmonize external tariff structures, foster regional integration, and shield domestic producers from external competition. Guided by the Customs Union Theory of Viner (1950) and subsequent scholars, the research examined both the trade creation and trade diversion effects of the CET. A qualitative research design was employed, drawing on secondary data from ECOWAS policy reports, WTO reviews, UNCTAD publications, World Bank statistics, academic journals, and national customs data. Findings indicate that the CET achieved modest tariff harmonization and provided limited protection particularly in agriculture, textiles, cement, and agro-processing, yet its impact varied widely across member states. Implementation was strongest in Nigeria and Ghana, where partial industrial growth was recorded, while weaker economies struggled due to porous borders, smuggling, infrastructural deficits, and inconsistent policy enforcement. Although the CET offered a theoretical platform for industrial promotion, structural weaknesses, poor institutional capacity, and lack of complementary industrial policies curtailed its effectiveness. The study concluded that the CET’s protective and promotional effects remained moderate, dependent on national institutional quality and enforcement capacity. The study thus recommended: strengthening customs modernization, harmonizing national and regional industrial policies, enhancing compliance mechanisms, and instituting regular tariff reviews. These measures will boost CET’s role as a driver of sustainable industrialization and regional economic integration.