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World Bank report assesses trade facilitation challenges faced by traders and customs agents in South Africa, especially women

Wednesday, 11 May 2022 06:33

A report recently published by the World Bank presents the results of a survey on trade facilitation challenges faced by traders and customs agents (customs brokers and freight forwarders) in South Africa, especially women. The survey's objective was to identify whether women traders and customs agents experience different challenges to border processes and procedures than their men counterparts, including those related to COVID-19. The study is important because it can help the South African government (and not only) to better understand trade barriers and design policy, maximizing the benefits from trade facilitation for women, so that they can participate more fully in the economy.

Draft AfCFTA Manual on the AfCFTA Rules of Origin now available

Tuesday, 10 May 2022 06:10

The Manual on the application of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Rules of Origin is an handbook which sets out guidelines on the operationalization of Annex 2 on Rules of Origin of the Protocol on Trade in goods of the AfCFTA Agreement. Foreseen by art. 42(f) of the Annex 2 on Rules of Origin, this manual was prioritized by the 8th Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, held on 28 January 2022 in Accra, that decided to accelerate its completion.

EAC adds additional tariff band to its Common External Tariff

Saturday, 07 May 2022 05:49

The EAC Common External Tariff (CET), that currently relies on 3 bands (0%, 10%, and 25%, applicable respectively to raw materials, intermediate and final goods), will be soon expanded with a further (4th) band that will hit with a 35% ad valorem customs duty the imports in the EAC of a series of goods from non-member States. Precisely, the 35% duty rate will be applicable to dairy and meat products, cereals, cotton and textiles, iron and steel, edible oils, beverages and spirits, furniture, leather products, fresh-cut flowers, fruits and nuts, sugar and confectionery, coffee, tea and spices, textiles and garments, head gears, ceramic products and paints.

Horn of Africa countries meet to elaborate solutions for increasing trade in the Region

Thursday, 05 May 2022 06:52

On 6 and 7 April 2022, the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) Secretariat, together with the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the EU Commission, a representation from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and delegations of officials from the Ministries of Trade, Finance, Transport and of the revenue/customs authorities of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti met in Nairobi in a Trade Workshop to discuss and identify a series of priority actions that HoAI countries governments should pursue in the short and medium term in order to facilitate trade and increase regional integration in the Horn.

Informal trade in Zambia increases significantly

Wednesday, 04 May 2022 15:24

According to the results of a survey conducted on Zambia’s Small Scale Cross Border Trade (SSCBT) whose results were announced on Tuesday, 3 May 2022 during a half-day hybrid workshop held by the COMESA Secretariat and the Zambia Statistical Agency (ZamStats), informal trade in Zambia has significantly increased, especially at the Kasumbalesa border with DR Congo. At this border post, the main traded informal export products were fish and fish products, while rice was the main informal import product.

News

World Bank report assesses trade facilitation challenges faced by traders and customs agents in South Africa, especially women

Draft AfCFTA Manual on the AfCFTA Rules of Origin now available

EAC adds additional tariff band to its Common External Tariff

Horn of Africa countries meet to elaborate solutions for increasing trade in the Region

Informal trade in Zambia increases significantly

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