Tuesday, June 16, 2026 Introduction For decades, discussions about international trade negotiations have been dominated by tariffs, focused on reducing import duties, expanding market access, and opening new commercial opportunities. The underlying assumption was that lower tariffs would lead to…
Thursday, June 11, 2026 Introduction: The Missing Link in Africa’s Textile Ambitions Africa’s cotton, textile, and apparel (CTA) sector possesses many of the ingredients required to become a globally competitive textile manufacturing hub. It produces significant quantities of cotton, has…
The analysis presented by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) highlights a structural imbalance that continues to define Africa’s trade and industrial landscape: the growing gap between formal market access…
The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has significantly advanced the conversation around market integration and industrial development across Africa. Tariff liberalization remains one of the agreement’s most visible achievements, creating new opportunities for manufacturers to access…
The discussion surrounding rules of origin often receives far less attention than tariff reductions or trade agreements themselves. Yet, as highlighted in UNCTAD’s analysis of preferential market access and trade utilization, rules of origin remain one of the most influential…
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Why fabric dependency, local content requirements, and regional value chains matter more than many exporters realise. Introduction: The Trade Barrier Most People Never See Across Africa’s cotton, textile, and apparel (CTA) sector, there is a persistent…
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Geneva, 2026 Overview The Trade and Development Foresights 2026 is UNCTAD’s latest update on the global economic outlook, building on its flagship Trade and Development Report 2025. The report assesses…
Thursday, June 4, 2026 Introduction: The Promise and the Reality Over the past two decades, Africa has achieved something that many developing regions continue to pursue: extensive preferential access to some of the world’s largest consumer markets. Through the African…
As the world races to meet climate targets, international investment in clean energy technology and the transfer of knowledge and skills have become urgent priorities. A new UNCTAD policy brief examines how international investment agreements (IIAs) can be redesigned to…
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Introduction Africa’s cotton, textile, and apparel (CTA) sector stands at the center of one of the continent’s biggest industrial paradoxes. Never before has Africa enjoyed such broad preferential access to major global markets. Through the African…