L'industrie kenyane de la mangue a subi d'importants revers en raison de l'invasion de la mouche des fruits (Bactrocera dorsalis), qui a conduit à de nombreuses interceptions de cargaisons de mangues par l'Union européenne (UE). Pour relever ce défi et préserver les possibilités d'exportation du pays, des traitements post-récolte innovants tels que l'utilisation de la technique de traitement à l'eau chaude (HWT) sont à l'étude. Avec le soutien du programme de renforcement de l'environnement des entreprises et des exportations (EU-BEEEP) financé par l'UE, une délégation de TradeMark Africa (TMA) a récemment visité la Direction des cultures horticoles (HCD) à l'aéroport international Jomo Kenyatta (JKIA) de Nairobi pour évaluer la faisabilité de l'installation d'un équipement de traitement à l'eau chaude. Plus tard, l'équipe a eu l'occasion d'observer un prototype de l'équipement au Centre international de physiologie et d'écologie des insectes (icipe), une institution de recherche scientifique réputée pour ses technologies et pratiques innovantes en matière de lutte contre les ravageurs. Le traitement des eaux usées est une méthode éprouvée pour éliminer les parasites de quarantaine tels que les mouches des fruits, tout en préservant la qualité et la durée de conservation des mangues. En investissant dans les technologies de traitement des eaux usées, les exportateurs kenyans seront mieux préparés à répondre aux normes phytosanitaires strictes exigées par les principaux marchés tels que l'Union européenne, les États-Unis et le Japon. Cet investissement permettra non seulement aux exportateurs d'éviter des rejets coûteux aux frontières, mais aussi d'améliorer leur compétitivité sur le marché mondial....

Kenya’s mango industry has faced significant setbacks due to the invasive fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), which has led to numerous interceptions of mango shipments by the European Union (EU). To address this challenge and safeguard the country’s export opportunities, innovative post-harvest treatments such as the utilisation of hot water treatment (HWT) technique are being explored. A delegation from TradeMark Africa (TMA) recently visited the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi to assess the feasibility of installing HWT equipment. Later, the team had an opportunity to observe a prototype of the equipment at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), a renowned scientific research institution for innovative pest management technologies and practices. HWT is a proven method for eliminating quarantine pests such as fruit flies, while preserving the quality and shelf life of mangoes. By investing in HWT technologies, Kenyan exporters will be better prepared to meet the stringent phytosanitary standards required by major markets such as the European Union, United States, and Japan. This HWT will not only help exporters avoid costly rejections at borders but also improve their competitiveness in the global market. Moreover, it will have a positive ripple effect on smallholder farmers, boosting their incomes and livelihoods through increased export opportunities. As Kenya continues to explore new avenues to expand its agricultural exports, HWT presents a viable and sustainable solution for the mango industry.

Nairobi, 8 February: The Government of the Netherlands, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a significant boost to global trade development, has announced a $63 million funding to TradeMark Africa, a leading aid-for-trade organisation. This strategic investment will fuel TradeMark Africa's Strategy 3, covering the period till 2030, aimed at driving green, sustainable economic growth, fostering innovative trade practices, and promoting inclusive trade across Africa. This move underscores the Netherlands' commitment to enhancing economic opportunities, job creation and facilitating sustainable trade throughout the continent. Marchel Gerrmann, Ambassador for Business and Development Cooperation at Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “TradeMark Africa will significantly contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous trade landscape for the African continent, benefitting both African and Dutch businesses." The Netherlands’ contribution will be invested in strengthening trade systems so that they benefit local exporters, foster economic growth, and create sustainable livelihoods across diverse sectors. This investment will be instrumental in improving market access for local products at the global level, in addition to bolstering initiatives that drive innovation, research, and development within the African market, enhancing competitiveness and green trading practices. As part of its Africa Strategy, the Netherlands contributes towards the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade over 30% by 2045 and is projected to provide an average extra 2.7% GDP boost across the continent. The AfCFTA could lift 30 million Africans out of poverty by 2035, offering market opportunities to both African...

The Government of Kenya's commitment to fast-track the construction of the Homa Bay Pier and other trade facilitation initiatives along the shores of Lake Victoria is expected to spur regional trade by reducing the time and costs of doing business. During his recent 4-day visit to the Nyanza region, Kenya's President, William Ruto, launched several infrastructure and logistics projects, including commissioning of the newly built MV Uhuru II cargo ship at the Kisumu Shipyard, construction of the Homa Bay pier, and several roads slated for an upgrade to bitumen standards. These projects are proof of the productive partnerships between the Kenyan government and its development partners, aimed at enhancing digital and physical infrastructure, thereby boosting efficiency in trade and transport sectors. The pier, a structure extending from the shoreline into the lake, will facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo from ships. It is part of a series of efforts to enhance the connectivity of Kisumu in Kenya to Entebbe and Jinja in Uganda, and Mwanza in Tanzania via the lake, deepening trade and transport across the three countries and generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The construction of the pier is scheduled for completion in six months and is fully funded by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). The design and supervision works are funded by Denmark through TradeMark Africa. Civil works entail the rehabilitation of the causeway and jetty head, the construction of standard buildings, including a waiting lounge and attendant amenities, a cargo warehouse, a perimeter fence,...

Members of European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, on November 3, 2022, held talks with teams from TradeMark East Africa, Kenya’s Ministry of Trade and regional private sector representatives on investment opportunities, trade relations and barriers. Led by committee chair, Bernd Lange, the team sought to understand key concerns around the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Kenya and the EU and how trading between the two partners can be more mutually beneficial. Mr. Lange also highlighted the need to reflect on a regional perspective in the negotiations with Kenya, which is no longer categorised as a least developed country (LDC) as its East African Community (EAC) counterparts. While the country’s exports still benefit from preferential treatment, Kenyan exporters face stringent requirements on labelling, rules of origin and phytosanitary standards, according to the State Department of Trade. In the last half a decade, Kenya has been a net buyer of commodities from the EU, with imports hitting US$1.9 billion in 2019, less than half of the US$916 million Kenya exported to the EU, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). Kenya exports mostly horticultural products. With favourable trade conditions and increased efficiencies in the production and supply chains, Kenya can significantly scale up its share of exports of cut flowers, vegetables, macadamia, avocados, sweet potatoes, pineapples, coffee, and apparel, in response to burgeoning demand in the EU. The delegation also heard of how Kenya and East Africa are positioned to tap into the immense potential of the African Continental Free Trade...

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the globe and disrupted the lives of billions of people in every corner of the world. Eastern Africa has not been left unscathed. The pandemic has affected trade and economic activity in a fundamental way. Whereas many have weighed the impact of COVID-19 on health terms, we in trade facilitation have seen firsthand how debilitating its impact has been to global trade, disrupting supply chains across the globe. This knowledge informed our quick adaptation, and helped to offset major trade disruptions experienced in the Eastern, Southern and Horn of Africa Region. The impact of COVID-19 hit TMA closer home. Cuts to donor funding caused by COVID-19 inflicted economic recession in donor countries necessitated a human resource restructuring process, and scaling down of programming. Nevertheless, TMA was resilient and delivered strong impact. I am honoured to mention a few of the interventions and associated impacts achieved in the last year, as I welcome you to read about many more in this annual report. SAFE TRADE Amongst the quick counter and cushioning measures we implemented were the Safe Trade Emergency Facility Programme (Safe Trade), a multi-donor funded and multi- stakeholder programme that enabled governments and communities to adopt short- to medium-term measures for safe continuity of trade. The innovation driving Safe Trade won an award during the Paris Peace Forum due to its focus on the immediate threat posed by the pandemic, and post- COVID-19 recovery that empowered communities to bounce back better. Recovery efforts have also...

The better part of the last two financial years have been marked by unprecedented global focus on COVID-19, the global pandemic that took the World by surprise. The numerous natural, economic, and intellectual resources that have been spent to contain the spread of the rapidly-mutating enigmatic disease, and to eradicate it, have been worthwhile. In the Eastern Africa region for instance, conditions for external trade and investment have tremendously improved due to enhanced focus on trade as a key ingredient for economic resilience. This, I dare state, is a direct result of joint efforts by TradeMark Africa (TMA), the region’s Governments, donors and other partners, to accelerate innovative approaches to trade in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. By the start of the 2020/2021 financial year, exports of most East African Community Partner States had surpassed their 2019 levels, whilst imports recovered to pre-pandemic levels, testimony of increased regional resilience. At TMA, we strove to maintain progress and associated developmental gains generated over the years, that could have been easily reversed by the effects of the pandemic. In our commitment to make meaningful and resolute impact through inclusive and sustainable trade in the region, TMA intensified focus on innovation and digital transition, simultaneously with its expansion plan. Innovation and digital transition enabled markets and borders to safely remain open for continued trade, thus speeding up recovery and promoting traders’ resilience. This contrasts with other parts of the Continent whose trade continues to be affected by the pandemic. The Safe Trade...

2021 marked an important watershed moment for global trade, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic started to subside, and countries began to post stronger economic growth. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global trade touched a high of $28 trillion, 11% growth from pre-pandemic levels. Trade in services is however yet to fully recover. Furthermore, while the global trade growth remained uneven across countries and sectors, it was broader towards the end of the year. Its therefore still early to celebrate yet, even though the future might be promising. The global picture bears similarities with activities in TradeMark East Africa, which has continued to post impressive results in addition to expanding our geographical footprint across Africa, whilst battling COVID-19 induced disruptions. It is for instance gratifying to see many women traders from vulnerable backgrounds being able to maintain their livelihoods due to medically COVID- 19 compliant markets that were constructed during the year to safeguard them and their clients. Similarly, seeing many regional micro, small and medium enterprises reap the benefits of reducing costs of trade due to various interventions such as growing digitisation of trade services by regional Governments, and improved evacuation of cargo along key trade corridors, are heart-warming. Amidst this, TMEA’s approach to trade facilitation continued to be relevant, in high demand, and impactful. Development of physical and digital trade corridors, promotion of inclusive trade, supporting standards harmonisation, and increasing the private sector’s voice in reforming trade policies have enabled many...

2021 marked an important watershed moment for global trade, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic started to subside, and countries began to post stronger economic growth. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global trade touched a high of $28 trillion, 11% growth from pre-pandemic levels. Trade in services is however yet to fully recover. Furthermore, while the global trade growth remained uneven across countries and sectors, it was broader towards the end of the year. Its therefore still early to celebrate yet, even though the future might be promising. The global picture bears similarities with activities in TradeMark Africa, which has continued to post impressive results in addition to expanding our geographical footprint across Africa, whilst battling COVID-19 induced disruptions. It is for instance gratifying to see many women traders from vulnerable backgrounds being able to maintain their livelihoods due to medically COVID- 19 compliant markets that were constructed during the year to safeguard them and their clients. Similarly, seeing many regional micro, small and medium enterprises reap the benefits of reducing costs of trade due to various interventions such as growing digitisation of trade services by regional Governments, and improved evacuation of cargo along key trade corridors, are heart-warming. Amidst this, TMA’s approach to trade facilitation continued to be relevant, in high demand, and impactful. Development of physical and digital trade corridors, promotion of inclusive trade, supporting standards harmonisation, and increasing the private sector’s voice in reforming trade policies have enabled many nations...