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Building capacity to help Africa trade better

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The Russia-Ukraine war has triggered the use of export restrictions on essential food supplies by some WTO members prompting food insecurity and rising food prices

13 Jun 2022 ~ Noncedo Vutula, Thembekile Mlangeni
Introduction The conflict in Ukraine has caused a global economic and humanitarian catastrophe that ranges from human suffering, loss of lives, global food price increases, food shortages...read more

The WTO Ministerial Conference MC12: A WTO response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

13 Jun 2022 ~ Noncedo Vutula, Thembekile Mlangeni
WTO members are engaged in concerted efforts to agree on MC12 deliverables in all areas of negotiations. Some of the priority areas include an outcome that will deliver a realistic and pra...read more

South African mining’s big prospecting problem

05 Jun 2022 ~ David Christianson
South African mining enjoyed a magnificent 2021. Driven by soaring international commodity prices, the value of minerals production exceeded ZAR1 trillion, that year, the highest value eve...read more

Trade and decent work: the ILO’s Indicator guide (2021)

02 Jun 2022 ~ Audrey Bessette (volunteer)
The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently published a guide addressing decent work indicators in trade policies and trade agreements. Many aspects such as employment, rights at ...read more

Dealing with Plastic Waste as a Trade Policy Issue

27 May 2022 ~ Gita Briel
Plastic is an inexpensive, versatile material that delivers many of the societal benefits of modern life relating to health, energy-saving, safety and hygiene. In South Africa, the plastic...read more

The U.S. anti-dumping investigation against lemon juice exports from South Africa: background, recent updates and next steps

27 May 2022 ~ Eckart Naumann
South African producers and exporters of lemon juice (and no doubt exporters of citrus fruit) received an unwelcome surprise early January 2022 that a California-based company producing va...read more

Expediting the start of trade under the AfCFTA

25 May 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus, Trudi Hartzenberg
The African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) Agreement is in force since 30 May 2019. The required number of twenty-two ratifications have been deposited thirty days earlier.[1] Several add...read more

To Cooperate or to Harmonise?

25 May 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
There is a long pro-integration tradition in Africa. It emphasises the need for a collective voice on matters impacting the continent’s standing in the world, and it suggests that the ec...read more

Cameroon: Making the most of the AfCFTA through a national implementation strategy

25 May 2022 ~ Cham Etienne Bama
Read the full blog HERE Cameroon signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement on 21 March 2018, and this marked the beginning of the country’s liberalisation p...read more

The Democratic Republic of Congo joins the East African Community: What does this signify?

25 May 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
In June 2019, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) submitted an application to join the East African Community (EAC). The 21st Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held on 27th February...read more

Thinking about Trade Governance as Good Governance

24 May 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
During a recent tralac workshop, we included a practical session on remedies for private parties when they encounter customs and border administration problems and when government official...read more

Has the Context changed in which new AfCFTA Protocols are to be adopted?

24 May 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The ideas and decisions to launch the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) were developed and adopted about a decade ago. The world looked different then, and the challenges were f...read more

Global Launch Event: Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ), 17 May 2022

24 May 2022 ~ Audrey Bessette (volunteer)
New global alliance of special economic zones to boost development The Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ) was launched on May 17, 2022, with eight founding members: Africa...read more

Zimbabwe’s latest trade policy pronouncements: Government suspends import duties and removes import licenses on basic commodities

23 May 2022 ~ Rwatida Mafurutu
Read the full blog HERE On the 17th of May 2022, the Zimbabwean government, through the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, introduced Statutory Instrument 98 of 2022 which...read more

Changing port logistics in SADC

16 May 2022 ~ David Christianson
South Africa’s harbours are inefficient and unreliable. After a decade of neglect, government is finally implementing a plan to turn around the situation by attracting private sector inv...read more

Seeing the unseen: Africa’s fastest growing companies

16 May 2022 ~ David Christianson
The Financial Times (FT) index of Africa’s fastest growing companies in 2022, compiled in partnership with data tech company Statista, provides strong evidence for the sometimes conteste...read more

Economic Growth and the Environment – Is Green Growth Possible?

21 Apr 2022 ~ Gita Briel
The idea that we need to decouple economic growth and resource use is promoted by a number of high-level policies, including the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Deve...read more

How the War in Ukraine has undermined Globalisation

11 Apr 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is in its sixth week now. It has not been the successful Blitzkrieg that Vladimir Putin had hoped for. Ukrainian forces are putting up a brave defence of th...read more

African Union Assembly Decision of February 2022 on Trade in Goods under the AfCFTA

11 Apr 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The Decisions, Declarations, Resolution and Motions adopted at the Thirty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, which took place in Addis Ababa on 5-6 February 2022, h...read more

Recent African Union Assembly Decisions on AfCFTA Support

11 Apr 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus, Trudi Hartzenberg
The thirty-fifth Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, which took place in Addis Ababa on 5-6 February 2022, produced a detailed document containing several decisions and de...read more
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