TradeMark Africa (TMA), on 23 October 2024, hosted a delegation from South Sudan to discuss priorities for enhancing cooperation in various areas of trade facilitation to reduce trade bottlenecks in South Sudan and neighbouring countries in the East African Community. The meeting brought together officials from South Sudan’s Ministry of East African Community Affairs (MEACA), South Sudan National Revenue Authority (SSNRA), South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS), Ministry of Transport and Roads, and the National Cross-border Women Traders Association (NCBWTA). Led by Beny Gideon Mabor, Undersecretary General at MEACA, and TMA CEO David Beer, the two delegations explored opportunities for deeper collaboration, including:

1.  Re-establishing a National Oversight Committee (NOC) to strengthen coordination and oversight of trade facilitation initiatives supported by TMA.
2. Prioritising completion and full operationalisation of the Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to improve cross-border trade and customs clearance efficiency. Phase 1, which included construction of the truck parking yard and inspection shed, was completed in  2020. Phase 2 works, which would see construction of staff quarters and administration buildings, are pending.
3. Enhancing Standards, Sanitary, and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures to ease compliance with regional standards and boost access to markets for products made in the region.
4. Addressing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) to reduce trade costs and improve the flow of goods along the Elegu-Nimule-Juba Corridor, the wider northern corridor, and in the EAC region.
5.  Strengthening institutional capacity for South Sudan’s National Bureau of Standards and the private sector in addressing technical barriers to trade.
6. Enabling women traders by providing them with training and support to increase their
   participation in local and export market opportunities.

TradeMark Africa first started operations in South Sudan in 2013, implementing various projects to enhance the capacity of institutions to drive trade reforms including implementation of a customs
reform programme and in turn generate the much-needed revenue. Deepening collaboration on the priory areas will unlock the full potential for trade between South Sudan and her neighbours in the East African Community and beyond.