Blog
AGOA Forum 2018 outcomes: where to for a future bilateral trade relationship between the United States and Africa?
Eckart Naumann
31 Jul 2018
Earlier in July 2018 the annual United States – Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (“AGOA Forum”) drew to a conclusion in Washington, D.C. This annual event, alt... read more 
SADC EPA Trade Defense Mechanisms
Gerhard Erasmus
31 Jul 2018
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) EPA Group[1] is a WTO compatible Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for li... read more 
The Settlement of Disputes under the SADC EPA
Gerhard Erasmus
31 Jul 2018
African states are not known for instituting formal dispute settlement proceedings about the violation of trade agreements. They never do so amongst themselves and very seldom vis-à-vis t... read more 
Is Brexit now in the Emergency Ward?
Gerhard Erasmus
31 Jul 2018
Brexit is due to happen on 29 March 2019 but there is no agreement yet on how the future relationship between the UK and the EU (the UK’s most important trading partner) will work. The U... read more 
Exceptions in the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement
Gerhard Erasmus
31 Jul 2018
Part IV of the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement contains certain General Exceptions to the non-discrimination principle in the MFN and national treatment rules. Exceptions are someti... read more 
Implementing the AfCFTA: When and How?
Gerhard Erasmus
30 Jul 2018
The implementation of international agreements is about achieving the objectives agreed upon. For trade agreements implementation is ultimately about ensuring active private sector partici... read more 
Engaging with the international e-commerce trade agenda for structural transformation in Africa
Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
30 Jul 2018
E-commerce can be an important contributor to Africa’s structural transformation. E-commerce is not just about online shopping. E-commerce is variously defined as the purchase and sale ... read more 
Trump’s Trade War: Are the Brakes failing?
Gerhard Erasmus
27 Jun 2018
It is claimed that the United States of America has the oldest written constitution in the world which is still in use. It was carefully crafted, through a system of checks and balances an... read more 
AfCFTA negotiations after Kigali – keeping an eye on the end game
Trudi Hartzenberg
20 Jun 2018
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations took an important step forward in early June, as the African Union (AU) Ministers of Trade adopted the legally scrubbed annexe... read more 
Is the AfCFTA a Legal Person? Does it matter?
Gerhard Erasmus
19 Jun 2018
International organizations can be (and often are) subjects of international law. Whereas States possess the totality of international rights and duties recognized by international law (th... read more 
How might Africa benefit from e-commerce technology?
John Stuart
19 Jun 2018
World trade has entered a new mode; one that is to international trade what the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ is to traditional manufacturing. Digital tools now make it possible for a... read more 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and non-tariff barriers (NTBs)
Willemien Viljoen
05 Jun 2018
Non-tariff barriers are some of the most prolific barriers to intra-Africa trade. If the AfCFTA is successful in addressing these barriers, significant progress can be made to increase int... read more 
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the private sector
Talkmore Chidede, Camille Andriamahatana (intern)
05 Jun 2018
African leaders launched the AfCFTA on 21st March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. A formal continental trading arrangement does not yet exist. It will officially exist once the AfCFTA Agreement ha... read more 
A gender responsive AfCFTA
Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
08 Mar 2018
The African Union’s agenda 2063 includes bold aspirations and targets for gender parity. It states: Africa of 2063 will have full gender parity… the economic and political glass ceili... read more 
Are the Brexit options for retaining SADC-EPA Benefits becoming clearer?
Gerhard Erasmus
08 Mar 2018
Brexit will arrive in about one year from now, at the end of March 2019. There have been many statements and “clarifications” but official negotiations about how the European Union (EU... read more 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other African Union (AU) initiatives for economic integration
Talkmore Chidede
01 Mar 2018
The AfCFTA is part of the broader economic integration and development agenda which has been Africa’s aspiration since independence and led to the formation of the Organisation of Africa... read more 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Willemien Viljoen
23 Feb 2018
In September 2015, the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were adopted by world leaders. The overarching rationale for the SDGs is to eradicate poverty, protect the pla... read more 
Are Trade Remedies important for achieving the AfCFTA Goals?
Gerhard Erasmus
23 Feb 2018
Trade remedies (TR) are trade policy tools used by governments to take remedial action against imports which cause injury to domestic industries. TR consist of anti-dumping (AD), counterva... read more 
Africa should not ignore what happened in Buenos Aires
Gerhard Erasmus
23 Feb 2018
The 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Buenos Aires was a disappointment. The meeting concluded without any new deals and no signs that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) will be ado... read more 
The AfCFTA: It’s not just about the tariffs
Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
14 Feb 2018
Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is part of a broader program for African integration. But integration is not an end in itself. The expectation is that this integration will... read more