Validation Workshop at Galafi Paves the Way for Trade Growth in the Horn of Africa
On 26th May 2025, Djibouti’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Equipment, alongside TradeMark Africa (TMA), co-hosted a pivotal validation workshop at Galafi Border. The workshop’s primary aim was to review and confirm the priorities identified during a needs assessment for upgrading both Galafi and PK51. Supported by the European Union through the Agence Française de Développement […]
Mobilising resources to power trade facilitation – which way forward?
As developing countries strive to implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), the question of funding—how to mobilise it, how to target it, and how to sustain it—remains at the heart of national conversations. This issue took centre stage during a recent WTO training programme for National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs), where experts […]
Why compliance is stifling Kenya’s fresh produce exports
By Lilian Mwai and Andrew Edewa In 2024, Kenya’s fresh vegetable exports to the European Union (EU) declined sharply by 54.7 percent, from 164,100 tonnes to 74,300 tonnes. This reduction in volume led to a corresponding drop in export earnings from Sh50.9 billion to Sh23.4 billion. The decline is largely attributable to the enforcement of stricter EU pesticide regulations, […]
Youth-led horticultural enterprise showcases growing participation in Rwanda’s export-oriented agribusiness industry
A joint delegation from TradeMark Africa (TMA), Mastercard Foundation, and the International Trade Centre (ITC) recently visited a young woman-led horticultural export business in Rwamagana, Rwanda. This visit underscored their collective commitment to helping Rwandan youth and women-led horticultural enterprises achieve significant success in export markets. The delegation gained valuable insights into ongoing interventions and their emerging impact, all […]
Uganda Rallies Behind Regional Fisheries Transformation Programme for Women and Youth in Africa
The Government of Uganda has affirmed its commitment to supporting efforts for transforming the country’s fisheries sector through a stronger focus on commercialisation, sustainability and inclusive growth. Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) Permanent Secretary, Maj. Gen (Rtd). David Kasura made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the AfCFTA Private […]
Digitalisation is changing trade, but we’re not there yet
Reflections from the EU-Kenya Business Forum 2025 At this week’s EU-Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi, TMA’s Director for Digital Trade, Erick Sirali, led a conversation on how digitalisation is transforming customs and trade facilitation. There was an acknowledgement that while Africa has made progress in digitalisation, the work ahead is considerable. We are talking, fragmented systems, redundant […]
Information disclosure is a powerful catalyst for corporate environmental and social sustainability
By Ben Mbindah, Safeguarding and Project Risk Officer, TradeMark Africa The disclosure of financial performance of organisations has always been an important tradition to informing investor decision-making. However, in recent years, the additional transparency around the environmental and social impacts for organisations has gained momentum. This shift reflects a growing recognition among companies and institutions […]
Unlocking trade potential through a new model that quantifies the cost of non-tariff barriers in East Africa
Click Here to View the Publication Over the past two decades, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) have emerged as the most persistent and complex challenge to international trade, with their prevalence steadily rising across the world. The East African Community (EAC) has not been immune to this trend, with NTBs continuing to evolve in form and scope, […]
Tracking East Africa’s top agricultural commodities and export destinations – New Report
Click to download the Report East Africa’s agricultural trade is evolving, with commodities such as tea, coffee, cereals, and edible vegetables driving exports across the East African Community (EAC) and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regions. A new TradeMark Africa report, “Intra-Africa Agricultural Trade 2024,” notes that tea, in particular, stands out as a major […]
TradeMark Africa commits to supporting Côte d’Ivoire to increase its trade
TradeMark Africa (TMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to advance sustainable and inclusive intra-African trade and to implement trade facilitation measures designed to increase exports to global markets. TMA’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Anthe Vrijlandt, made the remarks during the third meeting of the National Oversight […]