The effectiveness of development assistance in the economic growth of developing countries and especially in their trade is complex and often discussed. This article tries to have a look at the cross-border trade situation of WAEMU member states and the impact of development aid on their cross-border trade, which is seen as a driver of the economic growth of countries. The results of the GMM and the individual specific effects estimation on panel data for the period 2005-2015 showed a low positive impact of aid on the cross-border trade which promotes the economic growth. These results have, however, raised other questions.
Keywords: Cross-border trade, Development aid, WAEMU.
