TradeMark Africa

28/05/2026

Africa continues to export raw materials while importing processed goods. This structural imbalance calls for stronger regional coordination, more intentional value chain strategies, and a deeper understanding of African consumer demand.

At the Biashara Afrika Forum 2026, a side event on agricultural value chains brought together stakeholders to reflect on one pressing reality: Africa’s food systems are not yet operating at the scale and efficiency required to meet growing demand.

In the panel discussion on “unlocking regional agricultural value chains under AfCFTA,” the central question was both simple and urgent: how do we move surplus food efficiently to the markets where it is needed most?

TradeMark Africa emphasised that fisheries are a key opportunity within regional agricultural trade that must move beyond production toward scale and market integration. In this sense, fisheries surplus only becomes a real market opportunity when the cold chain, trade procedures, standards, and market connectivity function together as an integrated system.

Veryl Adell further underscored the importance of intentionally supporting SMEs, women and youth-led enterprises in fisheries to aggregate, preserve, process, and transport catch efficiently.

A key takeaway from DRC’s Minister of External/International Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, who joined the side event, was clear: AfCFTA provides a critical framework, but its success will depend on political will, regional coordination, and practical systems that make African markets work for Africans.

Beyond discussions, presented a valuable space to pause, reflect, recalibrate and connect with partners shaping the future of trade across Africa.

25/05/2026

Today marks a celebration of Africa's diversity, resilience, and potential. reaffirms the continent's shared vision for unity and prosperity.

TradeMark Africa supports this vision by growing intra-African trade, reducing barriers, and creating opportunities that lift communities across the continent.

From border efficiency to digital innovation, from empowering vulnerable groups to building sustainable trade corridors, every step forward moves toward the Africa TradeMark Africa believes in.

Together, let us keep Africa trading and thriving.

25/05/2026

Africa’s next trade breakthrough? Not tariffs!

Save the Date for the Africa Trade Development Forum (ATDF) 2026.

This year, the biennial event is co-convened with the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. The high-level platform will bring together African governments, international partner capitals, businesses, investors, and trade experts to engineer the future of Africa’s exports, and by extension the continent's economic growth - through quality for market entry and sustained access.

Look out for your invitation or details on how to apply for accreditation.

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La prochaine grande avancée commerciale de l’Afrique ? Ce ne sont pas les tarifs douaniers !
Réservez la date pour le Forum africain sur le commerce et le développement (ATDF) 2026.
Cette année, l’événement biennal est coorganisé avec le Gouvernement de la République fédérale démocratique d’Éthiopie. Cette plateforme de haut niveau réunira des gouvernements africains, des partenaires internationaux, des entreprises, des investisseurs et des experts du commerce afin de concevoir l’avenir des exportations africaines — et, par extension, la croissance économique du continent — grâce à la qualité comme levier d’accès aux marchés et de maintien durable de cet accès.
Restez à l’affût de votre invitation ou des informations sur les modalités de demande d’accréditation.



Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration Trade Catalyst Africa

22/05/2026

21/05/2026

Africa’s digital economy is projected to hit $700 billion by 2050, yet intra-African trade remains incredibly low compared to other regions. What are the barriers holding the continent back, and how do we fix them?

Catch the full discussion with TradeMark Africa CEO David Beer and TradeMark Africa Director of Digital Trade Erick Sirali on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/FAY9l5vH3Ao

21/05/2026

This week, TradeMark Africa and its commercial arm, Trade Catalyst Africa briefed Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General John R Musinguzi on the Smart Corridors Towards “No-Stop” Borders initiative, being delivered through two programmes - the Sustainable Inclusive Trade in Africa (SITA) funded by Denmark, and Green and Digital Trade Corridors (GRID) funded by EU Global Gateway, and Netherlands.

Discussions focused on border reforms moving beyond standalone technology, upgrades towards integrated, regionally aligned systems that improve ex*****on across agencies and corridors, AI-supported non-intrusive inspection, smart gates, electronic cargo tracking, and institutionally sustainable interoperable digital platforms.

The conversation reinforced TMA as a partner in designing the governance, standards and coordination mechanisms that enable long-term trade facilitation reform.

Later, TMA hosted a stakeholder engagement session on the initiative that saw participation from Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda , Ministry of Trade Industry and cooperatives uganda-MTIC, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Uganda Immigration ,Uganda cargo consolidators association-UCCA , DHL and Maersk.

By supporting shared digital architecture and collective accountability, the Smart Corridors model that touts shared architecture, regional interoperability and collective accountability aims to reduce fragmentation, strengthen border efficiency, and build more seamless regional trade systems in support of the AfCFTA.

20/05/2026

For businesses trading between Ethiopia and Djibouti, delays drive costs and uncertainty. Through the Djibouti Corridor programme, backed by Team Europe under the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, reforms are improving coordination across borders. Early results show import clearance improving from 6 to 4 days and exports from 4.5 to 4 days, with a 30% reduction in clearance times targeted. TradeMark Africa supports delivery, as the National Oversight Committe tracks progress.

Read more: https://trademarkafrica.com/djibouti-and-ethiopia-reaffirm-commitment-to-improving-efficiency-along-shared-trade-corridor/

Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration Union Européenne à Djibouti

19/05/2026

Decade-Long Engagements in East Africa Deliver Harmonised Standards Bill, Billions in Trade Within Reach

East Africa is edging closer to one of its (potentially) most commercially significant trade reforms of the past decade, a joint common legal framework for sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS).

If completed and enforced properly, the East African Community’s draft SPS Bill - a testament of partnership support to the regional block by TradeMark Africa - could help unlock billions in regional and export trade. This, by reducing the quality and compliance barriers that keep agricultural goods out of markets, whether by delaying them at borders or marked down for failing to meet safety requirements.

This impact brief breaks down why policy reform IS trade facilitation and why investing in trade policy reform anchors quantifiable ROI - technical legislation into real economic gains.

Read more:

The EAC SPS Bill could unlock billions in East African agri-food trade by harmonising sanitary and phytosanitary standards across Partner States.

15/05/2026

Still reflecting on ECOWAS’s five major regional meetings to advance economic integration in West Africa from 27 April to 1 May. Three core messages stood out:



First, regional integration in West Africa holds significant untapped potential, particularly in intra-regional food trade and corridor-based commerce.



Second, this potential is constrained by persistent trade frictions, including fragmented markets, non-tariff barriers, informalities, and inefficient trade routes which continue to limit the movement of goods across the region.



Third, reforms must remain grounded in impact for real people: traders, truckers, customs officials, and citizens who sustain regional trade every day.



TradeMark Africa was pleased to partner with ECOWAS for these high-level engagements, particularly in the session focused on strengthening intra-regional food trade. The discussions were premised on a study on intra-regional food trade by .



TradeMark Africa remains committed to working with ECOWAS and Member States to advance practical trade facilitation solutions that strengthen regional connectivity and deliver tangible results.

14/05/2026

At the close of the Global Trade Review East Africa Summit in Nairobi, TradeMark Africa Senior Director for Trade Environment, Mark Priestley, underpinned why industrialisation is now central to East Africa’s trade resilience and competitiveness.

Speaking on the industrialisation panel, he emphasised shifting from raw commodity exports to value addition, manufacturing and stronger regional supply chains, highlighting agribusiness and critical minerals, alongside regional integration, corridors and special zones