African Members’ Position at WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference
This briefing reviews African positions put forward at The World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) earlier this year and the potential impact of the meetings on internal and external African trade. It will also examine Africa’s broader relationship with the WTO and to what degree African members are able to participate in and […]
President Bio’s China visit charts a more holistic path for China -Sierra Leone relations
From 27 February to 2 March 2024, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, paid a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit marked the first presidential African leadership visit to China of 2024. Our past research shows that the frequent, African high-level visits to […]
Development Reimagined and the UN ECA sign MOU to boost value-added trade between China and Africa
Development Reimagined (DR) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have established a partnership that began on 22nd February 2023 after the signing of a joint MOU at the ECA office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The purpose of the ECA and DR partnering is to leverage their networks and expertise to promote African-made […]
HOW IS THE RED SEA CRISIS AFFECTING AFRICAN COUNTRIES?
Starting on November 19, Houthi attacks and counter-strikes on commercial ships transiting through the Bab al-Mandab strait along the Red Sea have been a major disruptor of international trade through this vital artery. A 32km wide channel connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, the strait is a strategic maritime chokepoint. The route […]
What South African Rooibos Tea Can Tell Us About Africa-China Trade Flows
Last month, China’s General Administration of Customs released its customs data for 2023. The data showed that China’s total trade with Africa grew a modest 1.5 percent in 2023, reaching $282.1 billion, but Africa’s trade deficit with China widened. While Chinese exports to Africa reached $173 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent over 2022, Africa’s exports to China dropped by […]
It’s time for African countries to shape the WTO, not just sit in it
At the 50th anniversary celebration of the origins of the international trade system in 1998 in Geneva, Nelson Mandela in his speech said: “The developing countries must accept that we want to be fully part of the WTO, and that includes improving the management of the world trading system to ensure that our economies do […]
Not Just an African Tale: China’s Trade Slowdown from a Global Perspective
In recent weeks, a flurry of articles appeared pointing out that Africa’s biggest bilateral trade partner, China, had significantly slowed its imports from Africa. To prevent another oversimplified doom and gloom narrative about Africa from circulating, we decided to break down the numbers to get a deeper understanding of this phenomenon – something we continuously […]
CIIE: Paving the Way for More African Products in China?
The China International Import Expos (CIIE) has proven to be a great opportunity for African businesses to gain access to China’s vast consumer market, but is it enough? Most African products that have been displayed are agricultural products which limits the CIIE’s impact on lifting African economies to a higher level and showcasing the true […]
Power plays: Why are a wave of African leaders visiting China, despite geopolitics?
Following China’s lifting of its zero-Covid policy in January 2023, there has been a flurry of African leadership visits to China. Within eight months, China has already received seven African Presidents from Tanzania, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Burundi, Benin and Zambia and five foreign ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone […]
A Slice of Opportunity: Benin Joins China’s Fruit Export Market
The recent visit of Benin’s President Talon to China did not hit many international headlines. However, it was particularly interesting for Africans because during the visit he secured a new agreement granting permission to export the West African nation’s fresh pineapples to China. Alongside Kenyan, South African and Tanzanian avocados, Rwandan chilis, South African citrus […]
