ABSTRACT
The last three decades have witnessed a proliferation of regional initiatives which have come about in view of the slow progress achieved at the level of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly after the debacle of the Doha Round. The underlying motives for an increased willingness to become a member of a regional bloc reside in the various benefits which potentially could be unlocked including trade creation, the provision of a platform from which to tackle regional issues and increasing bargaining power for individual member countries since negotiations at WTO level are usually done through a regional trading bloc.
