Tuesday February 03, 2026 Introduction: Why CTA Trade Flow Benchmarks Matter Cotton, textiles, and apparel (CTA) are system sectors that form the intersection of agriculture, manufacturing, employment, logistics, sustainability, and regional integration. Few value chains offer Africa the same combination…
Thursday, Jan 29, 2026 Introduction: Cotton’s Central Role and Its Data Deficit Cotton sits at the heart of Africa’s industrial promise. It employs millions of smallholder farmers, anchors rural economies, feeds textile and apparel manufacturing, and connects the continent to…
The UNCTAD Global Trade Update (January 2026) highlights a global trading system under growing strain, shaped by slowing economic growth, geopolitical fragmentation, rising protectionism, and accelerating structural change. Global GDP growth is expected to remain subdued in 2026, weakening trade…
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Introduction: AfCFTA’s Promise vs. Reality As Africa enters 2026, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate intra-African trade, industrialization, and economic transformation. Yet, despite tariff liberalization and formal agreements, many…
Across Africa, innovation is accelerating, yet too many ideas fail to translate into sustainable economic value because intellectual property is under-protected, under-financed, or poorly understood. As Africa deepens integration under the AfCFTA and competes in a data- and technology-driven global…
The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 (WESP 2026) report finds that the global economy remains resilient but trapped in subdued growth, high uncertainty, and persistent structural challenges. Global growth is projected at 2.7% in 2026, well below pre-pandemic averages,…
The Global Value Chain Development Report 2025 provides a timely and in-depth analysis of how global value chains (GVCs) are being reshaped by overlapping economic, technological, environmental, and geopolitical forces. Contrary to narratives of deglobalization, the report shows that GVCs…
The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published its final Global Trade Update on December 8, 2025, declaring 2025 a landmark year for international trade. Global trade in goods and services is projected to exceed $35 trillion for the first…
This joint publication by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Bank explores how good regulatory practices (GRPs) can reduce the high costs associated with global services trade and unlock significant economic opportunities for countries at all income levels.…
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) released its flagship Industrial Development Report 2026 (IDR26) titled The Future of Industrialization: Building Future-Ready Industries for Sustainable Development in November 2025. This 220-page report examines the trajectory of global industrialization through 2050,…