Country Focus

Qatar-South Africa fresh food trade soared in 2019-20: Ambassador (MENAFN – The Peninsula)

Trade between Qatar and South Africa in fresh foods has grown significantly despite the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ambassador of South Africa to Qatar, H E Faizel Moosa, said during the launch of the Carrefour, South Africa Fresh Meat and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable week.

Zimra system disruptions affect business (Zimbabwe Independent)

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) could have lost millions of dollars in the past two months following glitches in its information technology system which threatened to cripple financial transactions.

British products get 25-year tax free entry in Kenya pact (Business Daily)

The EPA executed between Nairobi and London provides full duty-free and quota-free market conditions for goods originating from East African Community partner state(s) into the market of the UK on a secure, long-term and predictable basis.

FG, NEPZA to boost FTZs competitiveness through AfCFTANigeria (Guardian)

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) says the Federal Government and the authority will leverage on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) to boost the country’s trade competitiveness.

Ghana, Nigeria payment systems integration makes steady progress (GhanaWeb)

Ghana and Nigeria have made steady progress with the integration of payment systems, as part of the implementation of an integrated payment system for West African states.

 

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News from Africa and Africa’s International Trade Relations

Covid_19 impact on EAC trade (CGTN)

A newly launched joint report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) has noted that declines in imports broadly reflected the adverse trade performance of the EAC’s main trading partners (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda) during the early phases of the pandemic in April and May 2020.

New WTO boss backs British calls for new services rules (Telegraph)

The new World Trade Organization chief has backed Britain’s push for a shake-up of global rules in services trade, but warned sweeping reforms of the under-fire organisation will take a long time. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African and first woman to head the trade referee, said the “sooner we can pin down the rules” in trade in services the better after the UK called for them to be modernised.

African Continental Free Trade Area should be used as a driver of peace and security on the continent (Daily Maverick)

Insecurity and political tension continue to undermine Africa by disrupting peacebuilding, development and governance efforts. A key driver of insecurity has been the effects of the arbitrary borders bequeathed to the African continent by the ravages of predatory colonialism. Traditional interstate wars have been increasingly replaced by intrastate conflicts.

Non-Tariff Barriers :: Trade barriers in Africa (Non-Tariff Barriers)

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s Non-Tariff Barriers online reporting, monitoring and eliminating mechanism is a facility developed to enhance trade through removal of non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs).