One of the most common assumptions in export development is that securing access to new markets automatically creates export opportunities. In reality, many firms discover that obtaining access and successfully exporting are two very different challenges. The U.S. International Trade…
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 Introduction Over the past two decades, Africa has gained unprecedented access to major global markets, a feat that many developing regions continue to pursue. Through preferential trade arrangements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area…
Thursday June 18, 2026 The role of customs modernisation, digital trade systems, logistics infrastructure, and PAPSS in building competitive regional value chains under AfCFTA Introduction: The New Competitive Battlefield in Textile Trade In today’s global textile industry, the competitive landscape…
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 implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has created renewed optimism around Africa’s ability to strengthen regional manufacturing, increase intra-African trade, and improve participation in global value chains. Yet the analysis presented in the ODI report on…
The World Trade Organization’s World Trade Report 2023 highlights a critical reality shaping modern trade competitiveness: reducing tariffs alone is no longer sufficient to drive export growth. As global supply chains become increasingly interconnected, the efficiency with which goods move…
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…