Southern summit tests the limits of a new trade bloc

The summit opened with unusual ambition: a common external tariff, a shared payments rail and a dispute mechanism outside the established institutions.

By the closing session, delegates had agreed on a timetable rather than a treaty. Officials from three delegations described the talks as constructive but said domestic industrial lobbies had narrowed the room for compromise.

Analysts argue that the bloc's real test is not the communiqué but implementation. Previous frameworks foundered on customs infrastructure and non-tariff barriers rather than on political will.

Still, the direction of travel is clear. Trade between member states has grown faster than trade with traditional partners for three consecutive years.