The selection: Wednesday, 30 September

Underway, in Lusaka: the African Green Revolution Forum

Launched, in Lusaka: AECF Impact Report 2014

Starting Thursday, in Kigali: 6th African Grain Trade Summit

Profiled commentary, by David Bornstein: 'Energizing the Green Revolution in Africa' (New York Times)

South Africa’s August trade data out later today (Standard Bank)

The SARS trade balance data for August is due for release today at 14h00. Bloomberg consensus pencils in a widening of the deficit to -ZAR3.4bn in August from -ZAR0.4bn in July. Our economics team’s forecast is in line with consensus at -ZAR3.4 billion. The rand is likely to remain under pressure ahead of the data release.

Zambia trade data: Imports increase to over K6bn (Daily Mail)

At regional level, Mr Kalumbi said Southern African Development Community was the largest source of Zambia’s imports accounting for 46.7% in August. Within SADC, South Africa was the major source of Zambia’s imports with 59.1%. Other notable markets were DRC, Mauritius, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Mr Kalumbi said Asia was the second largest source of imports accounting for 27.7% with China being the main market. “The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa was the third largest source of Zambia’s imports accounting for 22.1%. The European Union accounted for 10.4% with the United Kingdom imports into Zambia accounting for 30.2%,” he said.

China's slowdown: an opportunity to boost Indo-Africa ties (Observer Research Foundation)

The past few months have seen a significant deterioration in Africa’s trade balance with China. In fact, the lower forecast growth rate of 3.1% of China depicts the fragile picture affecting the dynamics of Sino-African relationship. So, what is the exact impact of the Chinese slowdown on African economies?

Carlos Lopes: 'Preparing Africa for the next trade negotiations' (UNECA)

Africans have now to do their homework. And that homework is pressing and becoming heavier. First, there is little evidence of strategic consistency between the trade policy framework and industrial policy objectives. Secondly, all too often, there is lack of policy coherence at the different level of trade negotiations, namely bilateral, regional and multilateral. Thirdly, no matter how well they are designed, trade policies have little value unless they are put to good use.

Trade in sustainable fisheries (UNCTAD/Commonwealth Secretariat)

The main difference between multilateral, regional and bilateral trade negotiations often boils down to the level of ambition in terms of the rule-setting. The speed at which bilateral and regional trade negotiations have been concluded relative to the respective rounds of negotiations under the multilateral trading system and the WTO are testimony to this. For example, 14 years of fisheries subsidies negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda have not yet produced an outcome. The Bali package agreed at the 9th WTO Ministerial is a pale reflection of what was originally envisaged in the Doha Development Agenda and round of negotiations, the first since the WTO inherited the multilateral trading system in 1995. In comparison, some 260 regional trade agreements have been notified to the WTO. [Remarks by Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General Deodat Maharaj]

Improving fish post-harvest management and marketing in Malawi and Zambia (Cultivate Africa's Future Fund)

The Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016 (WEF)

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow close to 5%, but competitiveness and productivity remain low. This is something countries in the region will have to work on, especially as they face volatile commodity prices, closer scrutiny from international investors and population growth. Mauritius remains the region’s most competitive economy (46th), closely followed by South Africa (49th) and Rwanda (58th). Côte d’Ivoire (91st) and Ethiopia (109th) excel as this year’s largest improvers in the region overall. [Downloads available]

Higher index ranking a boost for SA (Business Day), India 55th most competitive economy, moves up 16 positions (Hindustan Times)

Global Financial Centres Index 2015 (QFC), Joburg ranked as one of the most economically powerful cities in the world (Business Tech)

Global Forum on Competition: does competition kill or create jobs? Contributions from Zambia, Kenya

Kaushik Basu: 'Development in the digital age' (World Bank)

Activities that did not even have a name till a few years ago, now overwhelm our lives. There are 4.2 billion Google searches each day. 6000 tweets go out every second. That is on average. The record is 143,199 tweets in a second on 3 August 2013, when the Japanese were excited about watching a new animation film and Tweeted about it. These are fun statistics but the underlying technologies can change our lives. That is what this World Development Report explores and we have reason to believe that it will be a very influential report. [WDR regional consultation workshop, Nairobi: the presentations]

Technical workshop on labour migration statistics for the Africa region (AU)

As international migration moves to the forefront of policy agendas, there is a corresponding interest in accurate and up-to date data and statistics. However, accurate and up-to date information on migration levels and trends is largely incomplete, notably on a special category of migrants such as migrant workers which is a focus of the JLMP. In order to better implement the JLMP, accurate data and statistics on labour migration are needed to describe, reflect and support a better understanding of what is happening and to make more policy informed decisions on all facets of labour migration. For this reason, the international labour migration data collection was launched in June 2015 by the AUC for the Africa region. [Kigali March 2015 workshop]

South Africa: Home Affairs Stakeholder Summit (GCIS)

Last year we began a total review of the out-dated 1999 White Paper on International Migration; this process is now at an advanced stage. While it would be premature to outline specific policy positions, I can promise this house and the nation at large, that we will emerge with a modern, progressive and robust policy on International Migration. It will take into account the enormous current and potential contribution of immigrants to our society, and our connectedness with the rest of the world, while minimizing associated risks and protecting our national interests.

We need you to help us move from a zero sum mentality where we view immigrants working in the country as taking opportunities from South Africans, to one which recognizes that immigrants help us grow our economy and create jobs through their contributions as purchasers of South African goods, entrepreneurs, employers, employees and taxpayers;

South Africa: Tourism and Migration June 2015 (StatsSA)

The ten leading SADC countries in terms of the number of tourists visiting South Africa in June 2015 were Zimbabwe (28‚7%); Lesotho (21‚3%); Mozambique (19‚4%); Swaziland (12‚9%); Botswana (8‚2%); Namibia (2‚9%); Zambia (2‚7%); Malawi (2‚0%); Tanzania (0‚6%) and Angola (0‚6%).

Mozambique transport minister opposed to Shire-Zambezi Waterway (AIM)

The German consultant who drew up a viability study on the Malawian government's plans to turn the Shire and Zambezi rivers into a commercial waterway for the country's imports and exports concluded that the two rivers are not navigable in their natural state, according to Mozambican Transport Minister Carlos Mesquita, cited by Radio Mozambique. Mesquita was speaking after Wednesday's meeting in Lilongwe with his Malawian and Zambian counterparts. Mesquita pointed out that the study concluded that the rivers can only be used for commercial shipping if they are dredged. This would be extremely expensive.

Working on water across borders: spillover benefits for the SDGs (World Bank Blogs)

The CIWA program is one vehicle by which the World Bank and its Water GP contribute to the implementation of SDG #6 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, the results of the program to date – US$8.9 billion in infrastructure investments influenced that will potentially benefit 48.6 million people – have contributed to progress on a number of other SDGs, demonstrating the strategic value of targeting water development interventions at the trans-boundary level. Here are three ways in which the World Bank’s work in trans-boundary waters in Africa advances the SDGs:

 TPA warns against VAT on transit goods services (IPPMedia)

Charging value added tax on transit goods’ auxiliary services will drive away clients and affect Dar es Salaam port’s competitiveness, Tanzania Ports Authority has warned. Acting Dar es Salaam Port Manager, Hebel Mhanga told The Guardian last week that many stakeholders in the business were against the tax. He said his office was coordinating their efforts to have audience with Tanzania Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Rished Bade, on the issue. Dar es Salaam Corridor Group (DCG), which has become the first casualty following failure to conclude a transit cargo shipping deal with Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority and Malawi Cargo Centre Limited because of fears of VAT on transit goods, said the worst is yet to come.

Mauritius expands freight rebate scheme (Southern Times)

Mauritius has expanded the Freight Rebate Scheme (FRS) for firms exporting to Africa, and Reunion Island to enhance the competitiveness of products from the Island to Africa vis-à-vis exports from Asia and other parts of the world, Enterprise Mauritius has said. EM said the scheme consisted of a 25 percent refund of freight costs, up to maximum of US$300 per 20ft container (standard container) for export to selected approved ports in Africa, Madagascar, and Reunion Island.

KAM signs 2yr funding pact with TMEA (Capital FM)

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers and TradeMark East Africa have signed a two-year agreement that will see an extension of a financial grant to KAM. The grant is aimed at supporting KAMs advocacy work in the area of Non Tariff Barriers, Standards and Counterfeits.

President Kenyatta woos US firms to invest in Lamu port (Daily Nation)

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday invited American firms to invest in the multibillion-shilling Lamu Port project. President Kenyatta argued that Kenya had taken measures to make it easier for investors to conduct business. He said the country had opened up opportunities for US multinationals to invest in mega infrastructure projects such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia (Lapsset) project, which links the region.

US companies invest US$16bn in Mozambique (MacauHub)

US private investment in Mozambique exceeded US$16 billion in the past decade, the deputy minister for Foreign Affairs, Nyeleti Mondlane said Thursday in Maputo, the Mozambican press reported. The deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique also pointed out that in the last ten years, the US had positioned itself as the largest contributor to official development assistance to Mozambique, totalling about US$2 billion in multifaceted support, focused on the provinces of Sofala and Zambézia in central Mozambique, and Niassa in the north.

Reaping the benefits from global value chains (IMF)

Against the backdrop of the rise of global value chains, particularly in Asia, this paper documents key developments of GVCs and investigates what factors cause economies to reap greater benefits from GVC participation. Key findings include: first, moving toward a more upstream position in production and raising economic complexity are associated with the country increasing its share of GVC value added. Second, fostering GVC participation and expanding the share of the domestic value added in a value chain require efforts to reduce trade barriers, enhance infrastructure, foster human capital formation, support research and development, and improve institutions. [Related: Exchange rates still matter for trade (IMF)]

Exchange agreement with China could allow Angola to overcome lack of dollars (MacauHub)

Trains will link Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia (MacauHub)

Carbon pricing, divestment, and fossil fuel subsidy reform options for climate deal (ICTSD)

DEMO Africa: Scaling up African innovations for global market (Vanguard)

Foreign entry and domestic innovation (Vox)

Jomo Kwame Sundaram: 'We can overcome poverty and hunger by 2030' (IPS)

Restructuring of the Uganda National Roads Authority (EPRC)

US Chamber launches West African Business Initiative (World Stage)

Nigeria: Regional policy for accelerated infrastructure development (The Guardian)

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This post has been sourced on behalf of tralac and disseminated to enhance trade policy knowledge and debate. It is distributed to over 300 recipients across Africa and internationally, serving in the AU, RECS, national government trade departments and research and development agencies. Your feedback is most welcome. Any suggestions that our recipients might have of items for inclusion are most welcome. Richard Humphries (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @richardhumphri1)