News by topic

At a meeting of the General Council on 15 May, WTO members exchanged views regarding trade responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many members said the unprecedented crisis was best a...

ICC convened a landmark Sub-Saharan Africa regional meeting this week bringing together participants from close to 20 African countries. The virtual meeting, which took place on 1...

COMESA will develop an online platform for exchanging information on availability of essential products within the COMESA Member States as part of the response measures to the COVI...

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) today released a Policy Brief which provides a preliminary analysis, from an African perspective, of the limits of international ...

The coronavirus pandemic led to a 3% drop in global trade values in the first quarter of 2020. The downturn is expected to accelerate in the second quarter, according to UNCTAD for...

The review of the SADC revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and subsequent approval by the Head of States and Government in August 2015 created new d...

Shifts in global trade patterns, coupled with rapid technological changes are presenting challenges to sustaining growth. Therefore, a transition to a more knowledge-based growth m...

An Assessment of African Governments’ Commitment and Readiness for AfCFTA Start of Trading in light of COVID-19 This assessment which was completed before COVID-19 struck, showe...

The regional business community, under the umbrella of the COMESA Business Council (CBC) have urged Member States to facilitate the movement of transit essential cargo across the r...

New ECA-IEC report takes stock of the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and trade The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) ...

UNCTAD issues an action plan to tear down barriers to trade and transport and ensure the free flow of goods, food and essential supplies. As countries adopt radical measures to br...

Country Policy Tracker tralac is monitoring trade-related policy responses to the Coronavirus global pandemic. Below is a list of COVID-19 trade and trade-related measures be...

Dealing with the health and economic challenges of COVID-19 has made one point abundantly clear for African countries – “that we need broadband, faster, cheaper, and expan...

Eighty countries and customs territories so far have introduced export prohibitions or restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report by the WTO Secre...

Global remittances are projected to decline sharply by about 20 percent in 2020 due to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. The projected fall, which...

Since the launch of the negotiations in Johannesburg in 2015, remarkable progress has been achieved largely because of the political will and commitment of the Assembly of Heads of...

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that is both unprecedented and with many ramifications. The Pandemic poses significant health and social risks to the entire globe. In...

Regional body and UN agency join forces to minimize lockdown’s impact on continent where one in five goes hungry The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO...

The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic is so far having little impact on the global food supply chain, but that could change for the worse – and soon – if anxiety-driven panic by majo...

The Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held their emergency virtual meeting on 6th April, 2020 where, among others, the Ministers adopte...