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 […]
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 […]
EU-funded initiative strengthens Ethiopian women traders’ participation in regional trade
Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 12 March 2026: Thirty women exporters from Addis Ababa, Oromia, and Amhara have completed a targeted training initiative under the European Union-funded Djibouti Corridor Programme, channelled through Agence Française de Développement (AFD), aimed at strengthening their participation in formal regional trade. Delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) […]
Ethiopia Convenes 9th National Oversight Committee Meeting to Review Progress on Trade and Logistics Reforms
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 March 2026: Government officials, private sector leaders and development partners convened today for the 9th National Oversight Committee (NOC) meeting of TradeMark Africa’s Ethiopia Country Programme. The NOC, chaired by a senior government representative, guides the programme’s strategic direction and provides a platform to assess progress on trade and logistics reforms, […]
Traders brace for higher costs as Tanzania joins Kenya in raising port tariffs
Traders across East Africa face rising costs after Tanzania introduced new cargo handling tariffs, just weeks after Kenya raised its own. The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) says the revised charges, effective from January 9, 2026, will increase port service fees by between 2 and 15 percent, adding fresh pressure to logistics and consumer prices in […]
Africa’s Entrepreneurs Confront Rising Non‑Tariff Trade Barriers
Africa’s trade challenges have shifted decisively. Tariffs, once the headline obstacle, are no longer the biggest threat. Instead, non‑tariff measures (NTMs)—fragmented standards, slow and inconsistent testing regimes, unrecognised certificates, and unresolved procedural disputes—are quietly shutting firms out of markets. TradeMark Africa’s (TMA) 2024–25 Annual Report underscores the point: “Tariffs are no longer the main obstacle to Africa’s […]
Traders brace for higher costs as Tanzania joins Kenya in raising port tariffs
Traders across East Africa face rising costs after Tanzania introduced new cargo handling tariffs, just weeks after Kenya raised its own. The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) says the revised charges, effective from January 9, 2026, will increase port service fees by between 2 and 15 percent, adding fresh pressure to logistics and consumer prices in […]
Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda Sign Pact to Create DESSU Corridor Authority
Djibouti, 15 February 2026: The governments of Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda have formally agreed to establish the Djibouti-Ethiopia-South Sudan-Uganda (DESSU) Corridor Authority. Signed at a ministerial session in Djibouti, the accord sets in motion a regional framework for coordinating trade, transport and logistics across the four nations. This will advance the shared vision […]