Increasing infrastructure development along the main transport routes in the East African Community bloc could threaten business along the Northern Corridor, even though it could be a good thing for the region. Officials charged with managing the Northern Corridor have been assessing this bittersweet revelation with hope, seeing threats on the one hand and an overall rise in efficiency of travel and transportation on the other. The Northern Corridor originates from Kenya’s Mombasa port but is the main artery of supplies for countries like South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Its rival, the Central Corridor, flows from Dar es Salaam and is the supply route to Burundi, DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. For years, the Northern Corridor received more business, profiting from a busier port in Mombasa, better-paved highways and a standard gauge railway (SGR). The Central Corridor has been upgrading its facilities too. On the face of it, it means the Northern Corridor might start losing business to the competition. But not if it upgrades itself too. Incoming Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) executive secretary John Deng Diar Diing from South Sudan said he would prioritise road safety and the development of infrastructure, and an upgrade could be one way to retain clientele. Dr Diing takes over from outgoing boss Omae Nyarandi from Kenya, whose term ends this month. He said insecurity and increasing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) remain key hindrances to trade as Kenya competes with Tanzania for business. The Council of...

Le Mozambique envisage de louer une partie de son port de Nacala, dans le nord du pays, au Malawi, pays voisin enclavé. L'accord vise à stimuler les relations commerciales entre les deux pays. Pour officialiser l'initiative, le président mozambicain Filipe Nyusi et son homologue malawite, Lazarus Chakwera, ont signé la semaine dernière les accords initiaux de l'accord de concession. Le Mozambique disposera ainsi d'un espace dans le port de Nacala, que le Malawi pourra transformer en terminal pour ses marchandises. « Les accords bénéficieront aux deux pays, car ils sont des instruments qui visent à permettre des initiatives déjà en cours, telles que le projet d'électrification conjoint Mozambique-Malawi appelé MOMA », a expliqué M. Nyusi. Le port de Nacala fait partie du corridor de développement de Nacala, développé conjointement par le Malawi, la Zambie et le Mozambique. L'objectif est de faciliter la connectivité régionale et l'accès à la mer pour les pays enclavés que sont le Malawi et la Zambie. Le corridor comprend un réseau routier de 722 miles, une réhabilitation ferroviaire reliée à la capitale du Malawi, Lilongwe, et des postes frontières à guichet unique (OSBP) entre les pays concernés. Plus précisément, le port de Nacala s'est avéré compétitif pour les intérêts économiques nationaux du Malawi. La National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) a récemment commencé à importer environ 15 millions de litres de carburant par Nacala, en utilisant le transport ferroviaire. Grâce à cette expédition, le Malawi réduira progressivement sa dépendance vis-à-vis des ports de Beira (Mozambique), Durban...

Le gouvernement du Rwanda, en partenariat avec TradeMark Africa (TMA), accueillera le Forum pour le développement du commerce, qui réunira des hauts fonctionnaires, des partenaires de développement, des universitaires, des organisations multilatérales et des dirigeants du secteur privé de 14 pays de TMA et d'ailleurs. Ce forum de deux jours, qui se tiendra à Kigali les 2 et 3 décembre, aura pour thème « Le commerce numérique » et explorera les pratiques et les technologies de pointe en matière de commerce numérique. Parmi les sujets abordés figurent l'interopérabilité des paiements numériques, l'application de la technologie des registres distribués (DLT) et de l'intelligence artificielle dans les processus commerciaux, ainsi que le rôle de l'automatisation dans le soutien des initiatives de commerce vert. Les discussions seront centrées sur l'exploitation de la technologie pour rationaliser la facilitation du commerce et renforcer les cadres politiques à travers l'Afrique. David Beer, PDG de TradeMark Africa, s'est montré enthousiaste à l'idée du prochain forum, soulignant l'engagement de l'organisation en faveur de la croissance économique de l'Afrique. « La prospérité économique de l'Afrique est notre affaire. TradeMark se concentre entièrement sur l'obtention de résultats concrets en vue de supprimer les barrières commerciales et de stimuler les exportations à l'intérieur et en provenance de l'Afrique. Si des progrès significatifs ont été accomplis, comme la réduction d'environ un tiers des temps de transport dans le corridor nord de l'Afrique de l'Est, il reste encore beaucoup à faire », a-t-il déclaré dans un communiqué. Il a ajouté : « Le...

 Le Smart Freight Centre et le Kuehne Climate Center ont officiellement lancé le Green Freight Support Programme lors de la Global Logistics Convention 2024, qui s'est tenue à Dar es Salaam, en Tanzanie, du 14 au 16 août. Cette initiative, développée en collaboration avec des organisations de premier plan telles que TradeMark Africa, le PNUE et la GIZ, est destinée à stimuler les efforts de décarbonisation de la logistique dans toute l'Afrique de l'Est, en mettant l'accent sur la mise en place de pratiques de fret durables. « La décarbonisation du transport de marchandises dans l'une des régions à la croissance la plus rapide au monde est essentielle pour atteindre les objectifs climatiques mondiaux. Ce programme offre une plateforme de collaboration aux acteurs du fret pour qu'ils s'engagent dans des pratiques durables, démontrant ainsi leur leadership dans la transition vers une logistique verte. Nous invitons les expéditeurs ambitieux, les prestataires de services logistiques et les autres organisations à nous rejoindre pour parvenir à un fret sans émissions en Afrique de l'Est », a déclaré Rik Arends, directeur du Smart Freight Centre. Le programme de soutien au fret vert est le résultat d'un processus consultatif lancé par le Smart Freight Centre et le Kuehne Climate Center en 2023. Il s'attaque à l'augmentation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre liée à l'expansion rapide du commerce et de la logistique dans la région, et vise à créer un avenir de transport de marchandises efficace, à faibles émissions, sûr et inclusif en...

Le Ministère du Commerce et de l'Industrie de la Côte d'Ivoire, en collaboration avec TradeMark Africa (TMA), a récemment organisé une réunion de deux jours pour les responsables de la facilitation du commerce du Ghana et de la Côte d'Ivoire afin de délibérer sur les mesures visant à améliorer l'efficacité du commerce entre les deux pays, en se concentrant principalement sur l'approfondissement de la coopération douanière. Facilitée par le soutien de UK International Development, la réunion a attiré la participation des ministères du commerce, de l'industrie et du commerce, des affaires étrangères et de la coopération douanière, ainsi que des autorités douanières, des agences frontalières de Noe et d'Elubo, et des autorités locales des deux pays. Dans son discours d'ouverture, M. Sylla Kalilou, représentant le ministre ivoirien du commerce et de l'industrie, a souligné l'importance de stimuler le commerce à travers l'Afrique, exhortant les deux pays à montrer l'exemple en éliminant les barrières commerciales, tout en louant la participation de l'AMC aux initiatives de facilitation du commerce. Le directeur général adjoint des douanes ivoiriennes, M. Louis Kadio, a salué les initiatives comme un exemple de renforcement de la coopération Sud-Sud, et a félicité les organisateurs pour cette initiative louable visant à relever les défis de l'interconnexion et à faciliter le commerce entre les États voisins. La réunion s'est penchée sur les conclusions d'une mission menée par TMA au début de l'année, qui a identifié de nombreux problèmes opérationnels et d'infrastructure entravant le commerce aux frontières de Noe-Elubo, le poste frontière...

Nigeria is positioning itself to lead the continent in digital commerce within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. Already, the country’s digital economy has transformed the way millions of citizens shop, bank, and communicate, reshaping the nation's trade landscape and unlocking new pathways for economic growth. The AfCFTA aims to harmonize digital trade rules and principles, ensuring a streamlined, secure, and inclusive digital trading environment to enhance digital trade within Africa and its engagement with the world. Some key provisions of the digital protocol are market access, data governance, and consumer trust. Nigeria recently unveiled a comprehensive strategy focusing on enhancing digital infrastructure investments, promoting disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship, and ensuring the alignment of multiple government agencies to support digital trade initiatives. Key components of the roadmap include the AfCFTA's Digital Trade Protocol implementation and the development of expansive technical talent hubs. "We are in a vantage position because we are the continent's largest ICT hub, and as such, we must lead the way to the future of this peculiar wave of the industrial revolution,” Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s vice president, affirmed at a recent gathering of experts in Abuja to brainstorm on the road ahead for digital commerce in Africa. Nigeria has also invested in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) designed to promote investment in technology and creative ecosystems as part of measures to maximize its potentials and commit to the Digital Trade Protocol full implementation. It has set up a program to train 3 million young technical talents while implementing...

In a rare move, Mozambique is planning to lease part of its northern port of Nacala to neighboring landlocked Malawi. The deal seeks to boost trade ties between the two countries. To formalize the initiative, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and his Malawian counterpart, Lazarus Chakwera, last week signed initial agreements of the concession deal. This will see Mozambique carve out a space at the Port of Nacala, which Malawi can develop into a terminal for its goods. “The agreements will benefit both countries, since they are instruments that aim to enable initiatives that are already underway such as the Mozambique-Malawi joint electrification project called MOMA,” explained Nyusi. The Port of Nacala is part of the Nacala Development Corridor, which is being developed jointly by Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. The goal is facilitating regional connectivity and sea access for the landlocked Malawi and Zambia. The corridor comprises a total of 722 miles of road network, railway rehabilitation connecting to Malawi’s capital of Lilongwe and one-stop border posts (OSBP) among the involved countries. Specifically, the Port of Nacala has proved competitive to Malawian national economic interests. The National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) has recently started to import around 15 million liters of fuel through Nacala, using rail transport. With this shipment possible, Malawi will gradually reduce its dependence on the ports of Beira (Mozambique), Durban (South Africa) and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where import costs are high due to use of road transport. “I am pleased that we will soon...

The lack of agreement among East African Community (EAC) countries on revenue collection processes is among the reasons for the slow growth of trade in the region. Kenya’s apex private sector body has detailed how discordance among EAC countries holds back entrepreneurs in the region, particularly exporters and importers as respective jurisdictions impose different levies on the same products. Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) has also noted the lack of harmonised standards and compliance across the region as another barrier to trade. Kepsa Chief Executive Carole Kariuki said products that comply with regulations in one member state may face challenges in another even when they originate from the same jurisdiction. “For example, the packaging standards for bulk detergents differ between Tanzania and Kenya, causing complications for traders who operate in both markets. Inconsistent application of standards and arbitrary enforcement by border officials further complicates the situation,” said Ms Kariuki. She proposed the EAC develop a centralised digital registry where products can be pre-approved and endorsed for compliance across all member states. This system, she added, should provide a unique reference ID that can be used to track and verify product compliance at any point in the trading process. “This would not only streamline cross-border trade but also build trust among businesses and regulators,” said Ms Kariuki. While addressing the business community and policy leaders at a roundtable attended by EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva last week, the Kepsa boss singled out alignment and integration of the revenue collection processes as...

The Government of Rwanda, in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA), will host the Trade Development Forum, bringing together senior government officials, development partners, academics, multilateral organisations, and private sector leaders from 14 TMA countries and beyond. Set to take place in Kigali from December 2 to 3, this two-day forum, themed “Digital Trade,” will explore cutting-edge digital trade practices and technologies. ALSO READ: A year of trading under AfCFTA – a Rwandan businesswoman’s story Topics to be discussed include the interoperability of digital payments, the application of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and artificial intelligence in trade processes, and the role of automation in supporting green trade initiatives. The discussions aim to leverage technology to streamline trade facilitation and strengthen policy frameworks across Africa. ALSO READ: AfCFTA: Report outlines top four investment areas David Beer, the CEO of TradeMark Africa, expressed excitement about the upcoming forum, emphasizing the organization's commitment to Africa's economic growth. "Africa’s economic prosperity is our business. TradeMark is entirely focused on delivering practical results to remove trade barriers and boost exports within and from Africa. While significant progress has been made, such as reducing transport times by about a third across the Northern Corridor in East Africa, there’s still a big leap ahead,” he said in a statment. He added: “The 2024 forum will center on expanding digitization successes and introducing cutting-edge technologies. We look forward to sharing lessons and presenting innovative ideas to help governments and the private sector further reduce the cost and time of trade," he...

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Cote d’Ivoire in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA) recently convened a two-day meeting for trade facilitation officials from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to deliberate on measures to enhance trade efficiencies between the two countries, focusing primarily on deepening customs cooperation. Facilitated with support from the UK International Development, the meeting drew participation from the Ministries of Trade, Industry and Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Customs Cooperation, as well as Customs Authorities, border agencies at Noe and Elubo, and local government authorities of the two countries. In his opening remarks, Mr. Sylla Kalilou, representing Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Commerce and Industry, emphasised the importance of boosting trade across Africa, urging the two countries to lead by example in eliminating trade barriers, while lauding TMA’s participation in the trade enabling initiatives. The Deputy Director General of the Ivorian Customs Authority, Mr Louis Kadio, welcomed the initiatives as an example of strengthening South-South cooperation, and commended organisers for the laudable move to address challenges of interconnection and facilitate trade between the neighbouring states. The gathering reflected on the findings of a TMA-led missions that took place early this year, having identified numerous operational and infrastructure challenges impeding trade at Noe-Elubo borders – the busiest border crossing between the two nations along the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor. Among the challenges that were noted included poor state of border facilities (inspection bays, scanners, office blocks, parking lots), absence of laboratory, fire station, isolation centres for persons and animals and dedicated facilities...