EVENTS THIS WEEK

29 October - 01 November: Angola’s Regional Trade Integration and Economic Development: Policies, Negotiations and Analytical Tools, Luanda, Angola (Link)

30 October: GTR Africa Trade & Infrastructure Finance Conference 2018, London, UK (Link)

31 October: 18th International Economic Forum on Africa and Launch of Revenue Statistics in Africa, Paris, France (Link)

2-3 November: Africa Trade Forum AfCFTA Ratification and Implementation: A Game Changer in African Economies, Lagos, Nigeria (Link)

30 October - 02 November: The 33rd meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) of the Office of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in North Africa, Tunisia. (Link)

29 - 31 October: National Awareness Seminar on the Promotion of Competition and Consumer Protection in the Central African Republic Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (Link)

INTERNATIONAL

Asia-Europe meetings close with calls for supporting WTO, multilateralism - The 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) came to a close last week in Brussels, Belgium, where leaders from 51 countries examined options for greater cooperation on supporting the multilateral trading system, improving climate action, and otherwise backing multilateralism and shared policy objectives.  (25 October, ICTSD)

Keywords: Asia, Europe, Trading system, Multilateralism

EU, US officials consider approaches, objectives for trade negotiating outcomes - Three months after US and EU leaders agreed to launch an “Executive Working Group” to tackle a series of trade issues, questions over how future talks will proceed and what those efforts will cover substantively remain. Reports indicated that the working group was due to meet in Washington last week, though details of the meeting were not made public by the time Bridges went to press. (25 October, ICTSD)

Keywords: EU, US, Trade, Negotiating outcomes

Ottawa ministerial gathering: DG Azevêdo welcomes commitment to strengthen the WTO - Speaking at a gathering of ministers to discuss WTO reform, which was convened by the Canadian government in Ottawa on 25 October, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo welcomed the commitment of ministers to strengthen the trading system and pointed to the imperative for all members of addressing the significant challenges facing global trade.  (25 October, WTO)

Keywords: WTO, Trading system, Reforms

UN upgrades international investment rules reform package - With ever-increasing numbers of disputes between foreign investors and host countries, and the pressing need to mobilise money to meet the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, new thinking is essential in the rules governing international investment. Responding to that challenge, UNCTAD launched a fresh version of a reform package on 24 October at its World Investment Forum. (25 October, UNCTAD)

Keywords: UNCTAD, Investment rules, Reform package

Why British trade with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations can boom after Brexit - UK Trade Policy Minister, George Hollingbery has said, African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are important for British commerce. He noted that total trade between UK and those countries amounted to £22BN last year, adding that trade is going to increase, substantially. (25 October, Gov.UK )

Keywords: UK, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations, Post Brexit trade

PAN AFRICAN

Agri-tech can turn African Savannah into global food basket - The African Development Bank is championing a new regional and global effort to transform the African Savannah from a “Sleeping Giant” to the cradle of the continent’s green revolution. “This sleeping giant needs to wake up,” the Bank’s Vice-President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Jennifer Blanke, told an audience at a 2018 World Food Prize side event in Des Moines, Iowa last week.  (25 October, AfDB)

Keywords: Africa, Agri-tech, AfDB, Food basket

African Union woos Nigeria over free trade - The African Union (AU) has begun wooing Nigeria to rescind its decision to delay the signing of the controversial African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The Chairman of AU Commission, Moussa Faki, was in Nigeria last week to visit and convince all the relevant authorities, including President Muhammadu Buhari, to see reasons. (26 October, Today.ng)

Keywords: AU, Nigeria, AfCFTA, Signing

Afreximbank says transformation of African trade is task for all African financial institutions - The transformation of trade in Africa is a task that all African financial institutions must collectively pursue as major stakeholders in the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in its quest to facilitate African trade, Amr Kamel, Afreximbank Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Banking, said in Dar Es Salam last week. (26 October, Afreximbank)

Keywords: African trade, Transformation, Afreximbank

Africa Chamber Leaders' Forum Nairobi declarations - The two-day event focused on fast tracking the realisation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as well as the preparedness of the business community in the continent. The event further recognised that business leaders in Africa need to understand the opportunities arising from this agreement for local as well as foreign investors.(26 October, KNCCI)

Keywords: Africa Chamber Leaders' Forum, AfCFTA, Realisation

EAST AFRICA

East Africa’s one stop border post project - The African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank, extended loans of US$107M to the Republic of Kenya and US$88M to the United Republic of Tanzania to build a modern and more efficient “One Stop Border Post”. The financing also covered the construction of a 240-km road from Arusha through Namanga to Athi River, near Nairobi. (25 October, AfDB)

Keywords: Kenya, Tanzania, AfDB, One stop border post

Nairobi-Addis Ababa road corridor boosts trade in East and Horn of Africa - The 895-km highway corridor linking Kenya and Ethiopia has not only eased cross-border traffic between the two countries, but is a major push for economic integration within Africa, resulting in jobs and improved livelihoods across the Horn region. (25 October, AfDB)

Keywords: Kenya, Ethiopia, Road corridor, cross-border trade

The future of UK-East Africa Trade - IFT worked with the Eastern Africa Policy Centre, based in Nairobi (Kenya), to produce original research on the UK-East Africa trade relationship.This paper aimed to give  among other things, a broad picture of current UK trade with the East African Community (EAC) countries, in its context of the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreement with the region and the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences. (26 October, IFT)

Keywords:  East Africa, UK, Trade relations

Ethiopia to issue visa on arrival to all Africans starting next month - Ethiopia is to issue visa on arrival to all Africans starting Nov. 9, said Fitsum Arega, chief of staff at the Ethiopian Prime Minister Office, on Friday. In a press statement, Arega said the visa-on-arrival policy for fellow African visitors is in line with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's vision of a closer and full integration in the continent. (28 October, Xinhua)

Keywords: Ethiopia, Visa on arrival, Integration

Trade to be biggest beneficiary of direct flights to New York - Kenya’s decade-long journey towards achieving direct flights between Nairobi and New York has finally been achieved, with the inaugural Kenya Airways flight expected to touch down in the US Monday, marking a major milestone in the country’s aviation industry.   (28 October, Daily Nation)

Keywords: Kenya, US, Aviation

NORTH AFRICA

Egypt trade volume hits $67.63BN over 9 months - Egypt's trade volume during the period from January to September 2018 hit $67.63BN compared with dlrs 59.82BN during the same period of the previous year, recording a rise of 13 percent.( 28 October, Egypt Today)

Keywords: Egypt, Trade volume, Increase

Egypt in talks with US to develop customs system - Egyptian and US officials on Thursday discussed America’s assistance and support to the Egyptian Customs Authority to modernise Egypt’s customs system, achieving full implementation of the single-window system which helps the speed and accuracy of work, along with tightened customs control leading to facilitating better trade and attracting investment. (28 October, Egypt Independent)

Keywords: Egypt, US, Customs system

Industry minister: Arab economic integration inevitable - Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar stressed on Sunday the importance of economic integration among Arab countries.  In a meeting attended by delegations from 18 Arab countries with members of the Union of Arab Chamber, he described Arab integration as inevitable, saying Arab integration paves the way for the establishment of an Arab common market. (28 October, Egypt Today)

Keywords: Egypt, Arab countries, Economic integration

Morocco and Indonesia to negotiate trade agreement in November - Indonesia and Morocco agreed to start negotiating a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in November to increase trade volume. The agreement was reached at the second Indonesia-Morocco Joint Commission Session in Jakarta last Friday. (28 October, The North Africa Post)

Keywords: Morocco, Indonesia, Trade agreement

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Botswana says China International Import Expo to boost its trade and economy - Botswana's investment and trade promotion body is optimistic that the country's participation at the maiden China International Import Expo (CIIE) will boost its trade with China. Kutlo Moagi, spokesperson at the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, said the import expo to be held on Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai will bring new opportunities of trade and economic development to Botswana.  (28 October, Xinhua)

Keywords: Botswana, China, Trade expo

Billions secured for South African investment at conference - President Cyril Ramaphosa's investment drive took off on a boost as domestic and international business pledged hundreds of billions in investments over the next few years, with mining and metals group Anglo American putting in R71.5BN to sustain its local operations. (28 October, Business Report)

Keywords: South Africa, Investment, Mining sector

WEST AFRICA

Nigeria, too big, diverse to blindly sign agreements without understanding - President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria is `too big and too diverse to blindly sign agreements’ without understanding the consequences of such actions.The president made the declaration when he received representatives of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its President, Babatunde Ruwase, in Abuja, on Friday. (26 October, The Eagle)

Keywords: Nigeria, Buhari, AfCFTA signing

Nigeria and Benin make a new break for the border - Nigeria’s southwestern border with Benin is notoriously chaotic. Travellers and traders battle corrupt officials, hawkers and buzzing moto-taxis just to get to the other side. But a new crossing point has sprung up near the well-worn dirt tracks and roadside markets that the West African bloc ECOWAS hopes will make the movement of people and trade a lot easier. (28 October, Mail and Guardian)

Keywords: Nigeria, Benin, New break for the border

Ship owners lament importation cost on Nigerian vessels - The Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) has expressed worry over the 14 percent importation cost on Nigerian vessels.They said they are unable to compete favourably with foreign ship owners, who pay one percent custom bond on their vessels, as their countries provide them with incentives, enabling them to have more advantage. (28 October, Today.ng)

Keywords: Nigeria, Ship owners, Importation cost