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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Impact of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Infrastructure Projects on Trade Volume in Africa
1
Silk Road School, Renmin University of China, China
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-12-04
Final revision date: 2026-01-27
Acceptance date: 2026-02-04
Online publication date: 2026-07-17
Publication date: 2026-07-17
Corresponding author
Collins Dodzi Dzitse
Silk Road School, Renmin University of China, No. 158 Ren'ai Road, 21500, Suzhou, China
Silk Road School, Renmin University of China, No. 158 Ren'ai Road, 21500, Suzhou, China
Economic and Regional Studies 2026;19(2):240-256
KEYWORDS
JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES
F10
F 14
F21
O55
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Subject and purpose of work: This study examines the impact of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-financed infrastructure investment on trade volume in Africa. It study seeks to provide empirical evidence on whether BRI-related infrastructure development enhances trade performance across African economies. Materials and methods: The study used annual panel data for 49 African countries covering the period 2014–2022. The analysis applied panel regression techniques, including fixed-effects, random-effects, and dynamic panel estimations, to examine the relationship between BRI-financed infrastructure investment and trade volume. Results: The results indicate that BRI-financed infrastructure investment positively and statistically significantly affects trade volume across African countries. Foreign direct investment also contributes positively to trade, whereas the effects of income level and population density provided mixed results. Infrastructure development in transportation, energy, and logistics reduces trade costs and enhances market connectivity. Conclusions: The results highlight the relevance of infrastructure-led development strategies and the need for effective policy coordination and sustainable financing strategies to maximize long-term trade gains.
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