EAC SPS Bill: A Decade of Work Puts Billions in Agri-Food Trade Within Reach
The EAC SPS Bill could become one of East Africa’s most commercially significant trade reforms of the past decade. The draft Bill, a joint common legal framework for sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), is the result of years of technical work by the East African Community (EAC) and TradeMark Africa. If completed and enforced properly, […]
Modernization of border posts: TradeMark Africa equips Ivorian Customs with the support of the United Kingdom
The Ivorian Customs Administration has received a significant shipment of computer equipment donated by TradeMark Africa, with financial support from the UK-FCDO. This initiative aims to strengthen the technological capabilities of border posts, particularly at the Noé border crossing and in the eastern border areas with Ghana. At the official handover ceremony on Thursday, May […]
Trade facilitation: Ivory Coast accelerates its reforms to become a regional hub
The sixth meeting of the National Monitoring Committee (CNS) of the Trade Facilitation Programme was held this Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Abidjan, with the ambition of consolidating achievements and giving new impetus to the reforms undertaken to facilitate trade in Côte d’Ivoire. Led by the Ivorian government with the support of TradeMark Africa, this […]
Kazungula OSBP begins 24-hour operations April 1
Preparations to transition the Kazungula One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) to 24-hour operations are underway, with full implementation scheduled for April 1. Addressing the Chobe District Development Committee recently, Kazungula Bridge Authority (KBA) executive director, Mr Mukela Muyonda confirmed that the authority had fast-tracked the rollout, following a directive from Presidents Duma Boko and Hakainde Hichilema […]
A trade gateway held back by red tape?
The Holili-Taveta border post, straddling the frontier between northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, has emerged as a rare bright spot in East Africa’s push for deeper economic integration. Official data and industry reports indicate that cargo throughput and export volumes have accelerated through the crossing over the past year, driven by improved customs infrastructure and […]
The Middle East crisis: A stress test for African trade resilience
The escalating Middle East crisis is emerging as a major stress test for Africa’s trade resilience, disrupting supply chains across the continent while also creating a potential opening for key ports in East and Southern Africa to capture more maritime traffic. With shipping once again diverting around the Cape of Good Hope amid the strategic […]
East Africa sets 2026 deadline to scrap trade barriers, but past disputes raise doubts
The decision, reached at the bloc’s 25th Ordinary Summit in Arusha on March 7, underscores efforts to remove longstanding obstacles that continue to slow the movement of goods across member states. Non-tariff barriers, ranging from bureaucratic delays and inconsistent standards to restrictive licensing regimes, have long raised the cost of doing business within the region. […]
Non-tariff barriers could hurt East Africa’s integration gains
For more than a decade, East Africa has steadily built one of the most compelling regional integration stories on the continent. Governments, working with development partners, have made significant investments in One-Stop Border Posts, and digital customs systems have replaced much of the physical paperwork that once slowed trade. This enables goods to be cleared […]
La RDC lance le programme du corridor de Lobito pour dynamiser le commerce des minerais
Kolwezi, République Démocratique du Congo, 17 mars 2026 : Le gouvernement de la République Démocratique du Congo a lancé le programme « Lobito Corridor », une initiative financée par l’Union Européenne dans le cadre de sa stratégie « Global Gateway » et mise en œuvre par TradeMark Africa. Ce programme vise à renforcer les systèmes […]
DRC Launches Lobito Corridor Programme to Accelerate Mineral Trade
Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17 March 2026: The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched the Lobito Corridor Programme, an initiative funded by the European Union under its Global Gateway strategy and implemented by TradeMark Africa. The programme seeks to strengthen trade systems along one of Central Africa’s emerging export […]