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Trade Remedies in the African Trade Governance Context

23 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Trade remedies and safeguards are used by governments to deal with unfair trade practices and unforeseen consequences when trade in goods is liberalised. However, they must comply with spe...read more

Was Glasgow a Cop Out?

16 Nov 2021 ~ David Christianson
Even before the ink on the Glasgow Climate Pact had yet dried, commentators were scrambling to decide whether the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convent...read more

Prospects and Developments in the WTO talks on Export Restrictions

16 Nov 2021 ~ Kedibone Machiu, Mpho Leseka, Noncedo Vutula, Thembekile Mlangeni
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the limitations in the WTO rules on export restrictions. Consequently, the food importing countries such as Japan, Singapore, Chinese ...read more

Supporting transition – the matter of incentives, supply and demand

15 Nov 2021 ~ Anthony Leiman
Europe and the USA got rich on the back of coal fired industries, and China is still doing so. Unsurprisingly, coal rich developing nations also see it as an asset, and need incentives to ...read more

What are the costs of “the end of coal”?

15 Nov 2021 ~ Anthony Leiman
On 3 November, the UK released a report stating that 190 participants across the world had committed themselves to: end all investment in new coal power generation domestically and in...read more

Making sense of the COP26 agenda

15 Nov 2021 ~ Anthony Leiman
In December 2015, 196 participating countries at that year’s conference of parties (COP 21) signed the Paris Accord whose aim was to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-indu...read more

Should farmers be worried about the “Methane Pledge”?

15 Nov 2021 ~ Anthony Leiman
Should farmers be worried about the COP “Methane Pledge” to reduce methane emissions by 30% before 2030?[1] There was real concern amongst them in the UK and Ireland, especially when n...read more

COP 26’s collective action problem

01 Nov 2021 ~ David Christianson
Summit conferences can take decisive decisions. But there are occasions where their outcomes are little more than rhetoric and posturing. The 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) to be held...read more

Climate finance matters for COP 26

01 Nov 2021 ~ David Christianson
At the Conference of Parties held in Copenhagen in 2009 (COP 15), 23 developed countries pledged to commit a total of US$100 billion per year to finance measures to deal with climate chang...read more

Is a positive outcome on trade-distorting subsidies possible at the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12)?

01 Nov 2021 ~ Kedibone Machiu, Mpho Leseka, Noncedo Vutula, Thembekile Mlangeni
As the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is gearing up for the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in November/December 2021, an outcome in the agriculture negotiations is high on the agenda. ...read more

Dirty Money in domestic Economies and some of the Consequences

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Financial services is one of the priority sectors on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Trade in Services agenda. The financial services sector plays a critical role in national ...read more

South Africa bans the use of imported cement on government-funded projects

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The South African Government has banned the use of imported cement in state-awarded contracts. Bidders for state projects will only have their offers considered if they agree to source all...read more

What lies ahead for the AfCFTA Trade Remedies and Safeguards Regime?

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The legal instruments of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provide for a detailed regime to implement Trade Remedy and Safeguard measures. There are four provisions in the A...read more

Making the AfCFTA work: Some additional Requirements

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
States have jurisdiction over their territories. They control the movement of goods, services, capital, and persons across borders. But no country can prosper in isolation. Trade agreement...read more

International Court rules on the Maritime Boundary between Kenya and Somalia

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
In 1829, the English adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh wrote: “For whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of ...read more

Regional Economic Communities have unique Features and different Functions

01 Nov 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is generating a new awareness of and an interest in the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). They are expected to play a role in achieving...read more

The AfCFTA Dispute Settlement Mechanism as part of a continental Trade Regime

05 Oct 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Article 20 of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Founding Agreement provides for a Dispute Settlement Mechanism as part of the overall AfCFTA design. It reads: A Dispute...read more

The Institutions of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the AfCFTA

05 Oct 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The implementation of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is governed by a dedicated Protocol, the Protocol on Rules and Procedures on the ...read more

How will Rulings regarding AfCFTA Disputes be implemented?

05 Oct 2021 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Disputes declared in terms of the AfCFTA Dispute Settlement Protocol can be settled during the consultation phase, which comes first and is compulsory. Article 7 of the AfCFTA Dispute Sett...read more

WTO fisheries negotiations – A few but tough issues to resolve ahead of November 2021 Ministerial Conference (MC12)

28 Sep 2021 ~ Kedibone Machiu, Mpho Leseka, Noncedo Vutula, Thembekile Mlangeni
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) held a ministerial meeting on 15 July 2021 to discuss the progress of the fisheries subsidies negotiations. The discussions emphasised that the current n...read more
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