Africa's trading bloc said it has resolved about 80 percent of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) restricting trade, a statement emailed to Xinhua on Thursday said. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) said 385 out of 476 NTBs identified as most restrictive to trade in the region through an online reporting system have been resolved while seven were considered non-actionable, according to a statement released by the bloc's public relations officer Mwangi Gakunga. "Currently, eight categories of NTBs have been identified as most restrictive to trade in the region. They include Government participation in trade and restrictive practices tolerated by governments; lengthy customs and administrative entry procedures; technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures," the statement said. According to the statement, other barriers include specific limitations including quantitative restrictions, and quotas; charges on imports; transport, clearing and forwarding; and issues related to transit clearance; and other procedural restrictions. Customs and administrative entry procedures lead in the number of NTBs reported at 37 percent followed by transport, clearing and forwarding with 17 percent and other procedural problems with 15 percent, the statement added. "Part of the reason why reported NTBs take long to resolve is the different understanding the parties involved have regarding them," the statement said. The online system was developed within the context of a tripartite arrangement among three African trade blocs namely COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), for reporting, monitoring and eliminating NTBs. It is a systematic way...

The 10th COMESA Business Dialogue under the theme "Taking Action on Illicit Trade- an Industrial Competitive Agenda" begins today at the African Union Conference Center. Hosted by the COMESA Business Council (CBC) and the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA), the meeting is part of the COMESA Summit 2015, which kicked off on Wednesday the 18th of March. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Dr. Armany Asfour, Chairperson of the CBC said that illicit trade and illegal economic activities hamper the growth of businesses, the public and governments alike, making effective Public Private Partnership crucial to tackle it. "They harm our business, they cause governments to lose revenue and they are potential health threats to the public" she said. Solomon Afework, chairperson of ECCSA, on his part said that illicit trades, in their pursuit of unlawful private gain, "distort local economy." In addition to that, as in the cases of illegal arms trade, "they help cause political instability." Ahmed Shide (pictured), State Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) appreciated the timeliness of this year's COMESA theme, "Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization" and emphasized the importance of integration to confront the problem. "It is important that we tackle the issue of illicit trade. And this meeting is a key step in that direction," he said. Even though some of the COMESA member states are working to combat illicit trade, a regionally coordinated mechanism is lacking. Such fragmented nature of the legislations makes the fight against...

The economic integration of East Africa is destined for failure if decisions are not made at the highest level. The recent restriction on Kenya Airways flights into Tanzania was bad economics not just for East Africa, but the continent as a whole. It went against the principles of the free market economy we want to foster, and pointed to how poor leadership can potentially undermines our nascent union. Moreover, it came at a time when intra-Africa trade stands at barely 11 per cent, dwarfing all other regions on earth. Whereas it was a trying period, it is usually such situations that give rise to exemplary leadership that puts the interests of its people first. We could draw invaluable lessons on leadership from Mandela’s determination to put at the forefront the interests of both the black and white citizens in a divided South Africa. The trigger, as narrated by Paul Schoemaker, was the 1993 assassination of Chris Hani, a popular black equal rights advocate who was shot in cold blood by a right-wing white extremist when stepping out of his car. The killer was identified by a white woman, who turned him in. The assassination ignited widespread fury and sparked massive demonstrations in which the blacks wanted vengeance. Recently out of prison, Mandela rose to the occasion and appealed for calm in circumstances that portended looting, violence and mayhem. He said, in part: “Tonight, I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of...

Kenya has given Rwandan and Ugandan importers one month to clear thousands of uncollected containers at the Mombasa port or risk having them auctioned. Kenya Ports Authority ( KPA) stated that uncollected containers from the two countries are taking up prime storage space, slowing down the clearance and handling operations at the region's largest port. Managing Director Gichiri Ndua said an efficient port should have ample yard space all the time which can only be made available consistently when customers are equally ready to remove their containers from the port immediately they land or within the allowed free-stay period. "As of March 4, 2015, there were 2,435 cargo containers (3,464 TEUs) for Uganda customers that have been at the port beyond 21 days and of this number, 293 units (393 TEUs) have been at the port for more than three months," he disclosed. Kenya Ports Authority states Ugandan importers, who are the top transit users of the port of Mombasa, have been slow in taking up the amnesty accorded to specified Uganda cargo which is set to expire by April 15. Rwandan importers have also been urged to collect long stay cargo by mid next month or have them auctioned in order to create space. "Because we are in dire need of the prime yard space and in the spirit of supporting business growth in East Africa, the Government has given the waiver for collection of specific long-stay containers at the Port and the deadline is on April 15. We...

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) will be renewed before it expires in September. That’s a solid bet. When, exactly? For how long? And will SA be treated the same as other African beneficiaries? Those are questions awaiting an answer. Holding things up is strong opposition from most Democrats, and some Tea Party Republicans, to giving US President Barack Obama “trade promotion authority” (TPA). He needs this to conclude his Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade pact with 11 “like-minded” nations — China is not on the list — that rim the Pacific on both sides. Republicans are using Agoa as a hostage to obtain the Democratic votes they need to give TPA to Obama, with whom on this they are in rare agreement. Without TPA, there will be no TPP. Japan, New Zealand and other partners have said they will not make final offers without assurances that whatever Obama gives them in return will not be tampered with by Congress. The Democrats may be in the minority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but because of dissension within their own ranks, Republicans need help from the Democrats to give Obama what he wants. They have yet to get it. The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation, a labour federation, blames stagnant incomes and rising inequality on too much free trade. It has promised to withhold campaign money from any Democrat who votes for TPA. For some, the threat is serious enough: there is...

KISUMU Four border counties want to integrate their trade ties with other East African countries. Narok, Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay representatives are meeting at Imperial Hotel in Kisumu to discuss regional integration. East African Affairs principal secretary John Konchella Kochella yesterday told the press the border counties want to harmonise rules on cross-border trade. Source: All Africa

WHILE the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has always fostered a global multilateral trade, the current global trend in trade is increasingly based on regional trade through regional trade agreements (RTAs) between regional blocs — such as the European Union (EU), the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa). One of the main objectives of the regional trade agreements is to reduce trade barriers. Many observers believe that regional trade agreements deepen market integration and complement efforts by the World Trade Organisation to liberalise international markets, while acknowledging that regional trade agreements can open up markets, but others contend that these agreements also distort trade and discriminate against nonmember countries. Beyond regional trade, there is a growing trend to establish transpacific and transatlantic trade and partnerships mainly based on free trade agreements (FTAs). Such an approach has led to negotiations to establish the Transpacific Trade Partnership (TTP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The TTP brings together the US, Japan, Australia and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and aims at trading based on some of the World Trade Organisation’s principles. The TTIP brings together the US and the EU, which are global trading leaders and partners. It is becoming quite clear that, if successful, these partnerships will determine the future of global trade in the coming decades. Trade between countries or different regional trading blocs has become unequal based on trade policies...

NAIROBI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Investments in trade infrastructure as well as the removal of bureaucratic and procedural barriers to economic integration have positioned the East Africa region as the destination of choice for doing business, a study has shown. A study published on Wednesday by the TradeMark Africa (TMA), a donor-funded organization formed to help regional states speed up integration, said the harmonization of product standards has expanded the East African Community (EAC) trade basket. Encouraging results achieved over the past year, including investments in key ports have resulted in reduced cargo transit times on East Africa's main transport corridors, and accelerated implementation of the EAC's Single Customs Territory, said TMA Annual Report. TMA Chief Executive Officer Frank Matsaert said the reduction of average time to clear goods at Kenya's Mombasa port and transport them to Kampala, Uganda to fours days has buoyed the investments in the EAC region. Matsaert said the reduction in the number of customs declarations by 90 percent leading to an increase in trade volumes, an example of fuel imports into Uganda which has increased from 32. 1 million litres to 108 million litres are behind surge in investments. "The results presented in this annual report point to an ever improving trade environment which is expected to spur investments and ultimately benefit the citizens of East Africa," he said in Nairobi. He said poor infrastructure, delays in cargo clearance and customs procedures at the port contribute to the high cost of doing business along the...

Local manufacturers are seeking joint ventures with their East African Community counterparts as one of the ways to penetrate regional markets. The move could help strengthen the country's manufacturing and exports sectors, thus accelerating economic growth, according to Eusebe Muhikira, the acting head of export and business development at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Muhikira added that the development will also help build the competencies of Rwanda producers, making them more competitive. "We want to build a value chain model that will help us enhance product quality to be able to strengthen our footprint in the region," Muhikira said while speaking during a business-to-business meeting between Burundi and Rwanda entrepreneurs in Kigali last week. The meeting was organised by RDB and Traid Links. It attracted 26 companies from Burundi as well. Muhikira told Business Times on the sidelines of the meeting that RDB and the private sector are already working with firms from all regional countries under the market-linked programme. "We want to link Rwandan companies with potential distributors across the region through organised sales missions. We have so far linked local producers with 15 companies from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Six Burundian companies from the construction sector have also indicated willingness to join the initiative," Muhikira said. The market-linked programme is being implemented by Traid Links Africa in partnership with TradeMark Africa. According to Bernard O'Connell, the programmes implementation manager, the initiative will increase the market for Rwanda products, as well as improve profitability through reduced costs. "We also...

A Nigerian friend called me a few weeks ago to ask about a Kenyan musician he had seen on Viva, a popular sports show on a local TV station. That is Nigerians for you! Anywhere you meet them, they will ask about Mombasa, Al-Shabaab, our president, and other things that seemingly should not matter to a foreigner. Most of the Nigerians I have interacted with have more than a passing interest in events in Kenya, which explains why more than 500 government officials and businessmen joined President Goodluck Jonathan on his inaugural visit to Kenya in September 2013. Most Nigerians are interested in events in countries that could offer opportunities to their insatiable investment appetite. Kenyans, on the other hand, especially the younger generation, have little interest in events beyond their borders. They would rather follow gossip columns and television series on the lives of their favourite celebrities and socialites. Many social media fanatics are not even aware that Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, postponed its elections. President Uhuru Kenyatta is big on increased intra-Africa relations. He has been to Nigeria twice since he came to power. On one such visit, he led more than 40 members of the private sector for a state visit and trade mission to Nigeria. Agriculture, the backbone of Kenya’s economy, was at the centre of discussions. Nigeria could import fresh produce from Kenya. Feeding 170 million people should be sufficient incentive for Kenyan farmers to increase their produce for export. OIL EXPORTERS Kenya Airways has...