Africa Losing Billions as Trade Barriers Persist Despite Major Gains
The case for Africa as a global trade powerhouse is no longer in doubt. What remains unresolved is how quickly the continent’s leaders will act to remove barriers holding back growth. According to the East African Business Council (2023) report, East Africa loses an estimated $9–10 billion a year to non-tariff barriers, restrictions that continue […]
How compliance with good agricultural practices is transforming Kenya’s mango industry
When Rose took early retirement more than 30 years ago, she did not set out to join Kenya’s export economy. She simply wanted to make her farm work, because for a long time, it did not. The challenge was growing mangoes in a way that consistently met market expectations, and getting them to market before […]
Enhancing Trade Corridor Efficiency in the Horn of Africa
Trade corridors move goods from production centres to markets. When logistics systems function well, clearance times fall and costs decline. When they do not, delays and regulatory friction raise the cost of doing business. These issues formed the focus of discussions at the Enhancing Corridor Efficiency in the Horn of Africa Conference held in Addis […]
Le Nigeria réunit les acteurs du secteur de la pêche pour explorer les voies d’expansion du commerce et des opportunités d’emploi
Le Nigeria a réuni des acteurs du secteur de la pêche issus du gouvernement, du secteur privé et des partenaires de développement afin d’examiner les obstacles affectant le secteur et d’identifier les opportunités d’expansion du commerce, de l’investissement et de l’emploi pour les femmes et les jeunes. Le Forum national des acteurs du secteur de […]
Nigeria convenes fisheries stakeholders to explore pathways to expand trade and job opportunities
Nigeria convened fisheries stakeholders from across government, the private sector and development partners to examine barriers affecting the sector and identify opportunities to expand trade, investment and employment for women and youth. The National Fisheries Stakeholders Forum, held from 3–5 March 2026, brought together actors to assess constraints affecting fisheries and aquaculture value chains and […]
Why the Simplified Trade Regime Matters for DRC Border Communities
In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, the minister of foreign trade, H.E. Julien Paluku Kahongya, opened a workshop on the Simplified Trade Regime, known locally as RECOS, on 11 December 2025. The two-day forum brought together provincial trade ministers, border agencies and small-scale traders to assess whether border procedures serve the people who rely on […]
Zambia and Malawi live customs data exchange to speed up trade and strengthen compliance
A move by the Zambia Revenue Authority and the Malawi Revenue Authority, last month, to activate live customs-to-customs data exchange marked a significant step in how the two countries manage cross-border trade, compliance and revenue protection. The rollout of the enhanced Customs-to-Customs Electronic Data Exchange (CCEDE) at the Mwami–Mchinji One Stop Border Post in November […]
Comment les papillons de nuit ont failli perturber un million de moyens de subsistance
Par Andrew Edewa Le secteur floral d’Afrique de l’Est a été confronté à une menace inattendue au début de l’année 2025. Le faux carpocapse, un minuscule insecte, a déclenché une action réglementaire radicale de la part de l’Union européenne, mettant en péril des milliards de dollars d’exportations et près d’un million d’emplois. Pour les principaux […]
How moths nearly disrupted a million livelihoods
By Andrew Edewa In early 2025, East Africa’s flower industry faced an unexpected threat. The False Codling Moth, a tiny larva, triggered sweeping regulatory action by the European Union, placing billions of dollars in exports and close to a million jobs at risk. For leading producers such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda, the response had […]
Trade, transport, climate and the people: stakeholders call for fair green transition to protect export livelihoods
Summary As global net-zero policies accelerate, Africa’s agrifood exporters face a critical crossroads: how can climate action be ambitious yet equitable? A green trade roundtable convened by ODI Global, TradeMark Africa and the Fairmiles Consortium in Nairobi on 8 December 2025, brought together airlines, exporters, logistics experts, researchers and development partners to tackle this urgent […]