Theory question 103
Manufacturing Industry(a) State four characteristics of local craft industries. (b) Identify three limitations of local craft industries. (c) Explain five factors that have contributed to the high volume of trade between the developed and Tropical African countries.
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(a) Small scale, often in homes; use simple hand tools; use local raw materials; family or apprentice labour; small capital; low output for local markets; skills passed down generations (e.g. weaving, pottery, blacksmithing, carving).
(b) Low output and quality; little capital; simple tools and poor technology; competition from factory-made imports; small markets and poor packaging; young people not interested in learning crafts.
(c) Africa produces raw materials (cocoa, oil, minerals) needed by developed industries; Africa needs manufactured goods, machinery and technology from them; colonial ties and trade links; difference in climate and resources; foreign aid and investment tied to trade; good shipping links and ports; trade agreements (e.g. EU-ACP); African demand for foreign goods.
Explain each factor briefly.