The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a major shift in global trade dynamics, uniting 54 African nations into a single market to eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods, facilitate trade, and foster regional value chains. With a combined GDP of approximately 3.4 trillion, it is the largest free trade area by number of participating countries since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Evaluate the extent to which the proliferation of such mega-regional trading blocs acts as a 'stepping stone' rather than a 'stumbling block' towards global trade liberalisation and the multilateral framework of the WTO.
